Tekken 6: Ties That Bind
by MooNTeARZ
Summary: The sixth Tournament has been announced, and once again Jin,Jamie and the others find themselves drawn back to fight.an old enemy from Jin’s past makes himself known to destroy the Kazama line.and a new fighter looks to destroy Jamie’s own future
1. Chapter 1

Tekken 6: Ties That Bind:

Prologue:

Author's Note: What's up everybody? Moontearz is back! And now I'm all safe, and snug in my dorm room! I feel compelled to write…you all know the drill…my stories always start with a prologue to get everyone acquainted with the characters and all that jazz…well, I guess the first order of business is to straighten some stuff out, and I'll do some shout outs!

Element6: You're kinda right…I can't give out anymore or I'll ruin my plot…but stay tuned and I promise I won't disappoint!

Asuka-kazama-Mishima-doo-san: Jinkies that's a long name! I go away for a couple of weeks and everythings changin'! LOL, oh well, thanks for your support…and update, I finally beat Evrae and am now stuck on Seymour…I haven't plugged in my PS2…oh wait, my roommate already did and is now playing Budokai…o…kay…anyway, I promise that I'll read your stories soon can't wait and I hope you like this!

Shadowsin: What up? I read your latest chappie…I think…well, actually I skimmed it, b/c the friend I was staying with still has dial up at their house and their mom was yelling at us to "GEEEAAAAATTT OOOFFFFF THE INNNNEEEEAAAARRRRTTTTT" that's Tennessean for "Get off the Internet please, I need to make a phone call." But, with two weeks before my classes actually start, I'll have plenty of time to read more! And I'm going to re read your chappie ASAP! But the parts I've read were awesome! Oh, and…hopefully, if it's okay with you, Kyo and Kaori will make an appearance!

Karisan: Hey! Goodness you update fast! I'll read when I get some time…like, after I post this latest chappie! I can't wait!

Thee Slushee: Please write another story! Your Xiaoyu one was really good!

Okay, without further adieu…or something…here comes the intro! However, I'm going to take another spin on my main intro…well, here goes nothing!

"Somethings gotta go wrong cuz I'm feelin' too damn good…"

The throaty voice of Chad Kroger sang through the car…a 1992 Pontiac Sunbird to be precise…the driver had the top down, and his sun highlited blonde hair whipped across his face as he drove.

He smiled reflectively…he had an attractive, healthy tan, and a surfer's lean, body. His cobalt blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of vintage, aviator sunglasses (real ones too…made in the '70's and the official brand of the military)…another heirloom from his deceased father.

As he drove down the highway, he was going a little bit higher then the speed limit…enjoying the wind in his hair, and the familiar smell of salt, and the cool breeze from the ocean.

His music, somewhat louder then a normal driver would allow brought himself attention...mostly positive (there were a lot of female drivers out today), and a few negative ones. (Old people and soccer moms mostly.)

But he didn't care, he kept his eyes focused on the road ahead…and towards his destination. After all, he had fought demons…monsters…devil…himself…he could handle a few rampant soccer nazi's.

Jamie Parker pulled up towards a stop light, and listened to the lyrics again…the refrain continued, and he quickly changed the song on the burned CD…that was enough of Nickleback for now…particularly when the lyrics hit so startlingly close to home.

Jin and Xiao were married now…on their honeymoon actually in St. Barts…Kazuya had gone off to reclaim what was rightfully his at the Zaibatsu and (for the most part) everyone else had left his home town to pursue other endeavors. Jinpachi Mishima was dead.

Gone.

He wasn't coming back again…Jamie shivered as he remembered the macabre way he had outsmarted the demi-god…seeing yourself eviscerated (albeit, a mystical, alchemic clone) was very unnerving…fighting Jinpachi, and racing to obtain the Chakra Orbs had forced The Nephilim to not only examine himself…but the darkness within him…that primal, hunter instinct that deep down…no matter how human you tried to be…always resided within you.

Dimitri had taken care of the Philosopher's Stone…he had chucked it into the mouth of Mt. Vesuvius…obliterating it, and making sure it would never come back. And lately, things had been relatively calm. Nightly patrols often found Jamie wondering aimlessly around town…and it got so tedious that the Nephilim actually began to hope for something to come around.

Oh sure, once and awhile, a newly risen vampire would appear…but nothing challenging for the Chosen Warrior to contend against…so, he used a lot of the off time to train and…of course, hang out with friends! Still though, summer was winding down, he, Mina, Robbie, and Maureen would have to head back to the dorms soon…classes started in three weeks…Jamie was actually looking forward to settling back into (somewhat) of an old routine.

However, life here recently began to pass by in a complacent normalcy that The Nephilim hadn't enjoyed since…well…before becoming what he was. Justin was still around town, planning to go on tour in Amsterdam or something with Bam and the other skaters…Jamie supposed it was just as well. His brother (and chief caretaker) was leaving their two dogs in the watchful hands of Robbie's parents.

Meanwhile, earlier today, he had received an e-mail from Julia saying that she and Hwoarang were in Arizona…visiting Julia's family! The whole thought of Hwoarang seeking approval of his girlfriend's parents was completely laughable in itself…while Asuka and Billy headed back to Japan to start school, Steve continued to professionally box while Christie…joined the popular dance troupe The PussyCat Dolls.

Everyone seemed to be having world wind exciting changes going on in their lives while (ironically) Jamie, the one who's life was supposed to be filled with demon killing and intrigue, was leading a particularly normal summer.

And the Nephilim wouldn't have had it any other way.

At the stop light, he looked to his left…a trio of blonde girls were rocking out to some hardcore Hilary Duff…as Jamie glanced over, they looked and giggled…once upon a time, Jamie would have thought they would be laughing at him…but with the typical teenage insecurities behind him, he knew that it wasn't the case.

He smiled back, and blushed slightly (old habits die hard he supposed)…however, his attention was immediately drawn to his right, where a rental car had begun to rev its engine. He glanced at the driver and found that it was a certain, red haired Japanese Teenager…the punk one out of the Kazama clan, Kyosuke "Kyo" Kazama.

He was leaving soon for school, but he liked it here, and Jamie and Mina honestly didn't mind having him and Kaori (his girlfriend) around. He grinned and revved his engine again. Jamie immediately countered by throwing his car into park and repeating.

The green light came, and Jamie, in his ghetto car, managed to burn a bit of rubber. The race grew neck and neck at the highway, until the last minute Jamie shot through a yellow light, leaving Kyo trapped at a red. Jamie laughed happily and, with great flourish, flashed his hazard lights…which, as he taught to Kyo, is the American, universal symbol of "You just got owned!"

A few seconds later, as Jamie slowed down to the legal limit, his cell phone began to ring. He picked it up.

"Hey…no fair!"

"What? I just dusted your ass! Before you race someone Kyo, you should make sure that they haven't lived here for nine years!" Jamie answered back.

"What ever…I want a re match."

"You got it! But watch yourself okay? There's cops around here." Jamie cautioned.

"Thanks…hey, we're all still going to the movies later tonight right?" Kyo asked.

"Um…" Jamie thought…trying to remember. "Yeah, yeah that sounds good…I've been a little out of it lately and I forgot that we planned plans."

"Don't worry about it," Kyo chuckled. "Kaori and Mina made 'em, I think we're just supposed to show up."

"That's how it always is anyway…listen, I gotta do this thing…but…um…"

"Oh riiight…you promised that guy we met at the VDA…Chris right? What'd he want?"

"Some PR thing for his stupid Abercrombie and Fitch store…if I do it I'll get cash…which is good…but I should be done around ten…I'll call you guys then."

"Sounds good…by the way…did Mina call you?" Kyo asked.

"Um…not in the last couple of hours…why?" Jamie asked as he pulled into the mall's parking lot.

"Kaori called me…she was helping Mina at her dad's Karate School…anyway, she just said to call whenever I get a chance."

"Something wrong?" Jamie asked…a thin line of worry creased over his features as he shut the car off.

"Didn't sound like it…I'll check though okay?"

"Yeah thanks." Jamie slammed his door and locked the car.

The two said goodbyes as Jamie headed across the parking lot…before closing his flip phone though, he noticed that it flashed that he had two missed messages…the first was from Mina.

"Hey Jamie…it's Mina…give me a call when you get this….don't worry, nothing's wrong…I think…some weird guys came in today though…anyway, it's probably nothing, you work at the school so you know we get some weirdo's sometimes…anyway, love you, have fun with Chris." A sarcastic note ended the conversation.

The second call was an unknown name and number…but when he listened, he heard the familiar pitch of Kazuya's voice.

"Jamie it's Kazuya…give me a call as soon as you get this…we have much to discuss."

Jamie tried Kazuya's number…but no one picked up.

"Shit…" Jamie cursed under his breath.

He knew he needed to look into it more…but at the moment, he didn't have the time…besides, he'd have to put Jamie Parker, Chosen Warrior to fight Demons aside, and break out, Jamie Parker, Abercrombie and Fitch…person…

He gritted his teeth as he thought about the latest task at hand…and all the while two thoughts went through his head.

_I'm doing this for the cash…I'm doing this for the cash…_

But deeper, nagging at the back of his subconscious, another voice echoed the prophetic refrain from the song he had just heard:

"Something's gotta go wrong 'cuz I'm feeling too damn good…"

Author's Note: Okay, sorry if this sucked! It's been awhile and I'm a little rusty…hope you enjoyed this chappie! Next chappie will focus on why exactly Mina called, followed by Jamie's "encounter" with some new evils! I hope you liked this chapter please READ AND REVIEW much love to everyone!


	2. Chapter 2: Destiny Awakens

Chapter One: Destiny Awakens…

Author's Note: Hi again everybody…what's up? Well, I'm back with another chapter…as weird as it sounds I really got inspired for this chappie by playing Super Smash Brothers on the Game Cube…I guess I'll explain later…hm…did you guys get any letters about them banning responses to reviews? Hunh…isn't that strange? Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing and to flaming fenix…Kyo isn't my character…he's Shadowsin's, he gave me permission to use his characters and I gave him permission to use mine! If you haven't read Shadowsin's stories then you should cuz their really good! Anyway, without further adieu, here's my latest chappie…it'll feature Mina and why exactly she decided to call Jamie! And don't worry, the tournament will start relatively soon!

The deep purple Mazda roared into the parking lot and jerked to a sudden stop. The young man in the car listened to his music for a bit longer…head rocking in time with Powerman 5000's version of "Relax". The seats were black leather, and of the bucket variety…trash littered the black carpets and the car smelled of cigarette smoke, alcohol and marijuana (Grey had "a moment" about a half an hour ago).

"Not like any po-po're gonna pull me over…I'm Heihachi Mishima's adopted son now…" He murmured.

Being in this car brought back a rush of memories…this was his old Orphanage's second car (the first was an old station wagon that had been destroyed). The staff, particularly, Sister Mary, thought that Grey needed something to keep him out of trouble…so she bought the car, and had him work on it.

By that time, he had already become a black belt…and the plan worked…Grey worked tirelessly on his "baby", putting in a bad ass muffler, and an Mp3 player among other things. Grey couldn't part with this car…even after all the fancy ones that Heihachi had offered him.

He rolled down his windows to let some air in the car, and began fixing himself up for today's assignment…as he traced the black eyeliner along his eyelids he began to reflect on the whirlwind summer he had been having…

Heihachi Mishima had taken him in…the elder Mishima was in the process of transferring funds from a private account or something as he began to subtly take his beloved Mishima Zaibatsu over again…Grey wasn't exactly sure how finances worked…and mathematics bored him, so he never paid attention, much less cared…instead, he took the time training, and using his newfound powers.

He finally had a name for his "gift" as he used to call it…Grey had always been a great fighter, and not only could he take a punch, he could always deliver them with startling efficiency…but after December…he hit harder, ran faster…all that jazz…

Heihachi told him all about "Devils" (something that appealed to Grey immensely) and those lame, pansy ass half angels called "Nephilim"…but Grey…he was something different entirely.

"Avatar…" He muttered slowly, as he finished his eyeliner, and put his lip ring in.

Apparently, an ancient prophecy that Heihachi had found foretold of an ancient rivalry to be borne again in modern times…but that was all that Grey, Heihachi, and Heihachi's slimy, sycophantic side kick Doctor Abel could come up with.

Grey felt happy that he was apparently, just as, if not more powerful then a Nephilim or a Devil…but he didn't exactly feel…godly…he hoped that he would rep it hard for a cool God though…a God of war or something like that. Heihachi had also explained that the person responsible for the attack on his home was a renegade "super soldier" named Brian Fury…

Grey remembered him from watching the 3rd, 4th and 5th Iron Fist tournaments on television…he looked so pale…almost like a zombie in Dawn of the Dead (one of his favorite movies). Brian apparently wanted to make this "great warrior" all pissed and angry enough to fight him…but by the time he would have confronted Grey the police came.

Brian had gotten the legends mixed up, and assumed that Grey was another Nephilim like that kid who looked like he had come straight out of the O.C.

"Jamie Parker…" Grey muttered, voice dripping with disdain.

Grey hated him…he wasn't exactly sure why…he really had no reason too, but he just did. Maybe his personality…or his annoying and poseur attitude…those kind of kids always pissed Grey off…and he obviously wasn't that great as a Nephilim if he went around flaunting it was he? Grey learned that Nephilim were supposed to keep their lives secret…and maybe if Jamie had shut his fucking mouth then his home, his family, and his life wouldn't have been destroyed.

He bitched on and on about his dead parents…at least he had known his! And at least he still had his famous, skate boarding older brother! Grey had no idea who his family was…all he knew was that they were young…and probably on drugs.

"Well…Iron Fist 6 is comin' up here pretty soon…I'll take both of them out."

Heihachi wanted Jamie dead…and he wanted Brian out of the way…Grey figured he could kill both with one stone and please him…

But first…like any story worth telling…it all starts with a girl…one girl in particular.

Kim Seung Mina.

Jamie's girlfriend…and an integral part in Heihachi's plan.

The avatar sighed and popped his knuckles before turning the car off. He got out, and surveyed the territory.

A well manicured, non threatening shopping center…sandwiched in between the grocery store and the stationary store was the Karate School.

"Kim Seung Karate…kinda has a nice ring to it," Grey shrugged his shoulders. "Better then Alcoa TTJC I suppose…"

He prepared to walk in until his phone rang…he sighed and answered it.

"Grey…where are you?" Heihachi asked.

"Standing in front of Kim Seung Karate…I'm about to go in."

"Good…good..." Heihachi mused. "Hurry though…and remember…she is not to be harmed only humiliated…"

"Got it," Grey began. "Layeth the smack down, and hand her the invite…wailin' on a little girl…now why does that appeal to me?"

"Remember…time is of the essence…my sources tell me that this is where the Nephilim and his friends normally converge."

"Alright alright I got it! Beat the crap out of his girl…then what?"

"Then if you do a good job, you can have some playtime with your new, Nephilim friend." Heihachi said as if Grey was a child.

"Sounds good…not only do I get to mess up his turf and his friends…I get to beat him up too…and it's not even my birthday."

Grey hung up the phone, and shook his dark hair…it was combed to one side, so his black bangs dangled limply and covered the right side of his face…the bangs, were currently dyed blood red…he tended to color his hair depending on his mood.

With a confident swagger, the twenty year old young man walked across the parking lot and into the Karate school…the bell rang cheerfully as he opened the door…

(New scene…)

"HIIII-YYYAAAA!"

The sounds of ki-yaps echoed through the karate dojo as Mina stood on her corner of the mat, with her class. The dojo was packed tonight…more so then usual as there was going to be a guest speaker. Her class ranged the gamete from ages 8-13 tonight…she taught the older kids…and then the adult class afterwards. By the time she finished those two classes, Kaori got done speaking to the school, she cleaned the dojo, showered and looked somewhat presentable (she was sure that she smelled like sweat and feet), Jamie would get done at (chuckle) Abercrombie, and they'd all go out to the movies.

She held the kicking paddles and had the kids take turns doing a round house, reverse hook combo. She had one of the other black belt instructors, Jack hold the pads while she performed the attack with deadly accuracy and a dancer's grace. The kids oohed and aahed as she finished.

"This is a great combo to use to catch your opponent off guard…and when you're sparring. If you're fast enough, you can probably land the hook kick and get some major points." Mina advised.

_It also works really well to break a vampire's jaw and stun it…but we won't get into that right now…_

She let her class get water, and as they did, Mina walked into her father's office. It was a simple affair, dominated mostly by pictures of the family, classmates, and boxes of Tae Kwon Do supplies.

Her older brother Hiro, another instructor sat on her father's side of the desk and typed on the computer. He was a good guy…two years older then Mina, and attended the same university that her and her friends did. He jokingly referred to himself as the "token Asian of his frat". His sense of humor and good looks immediately won him fans of the opposite sex.

"Hey Kaori," Mina said with a smile. "You almost ready?"

"I'm a little nervous actually…I had all this stuff planned out but now…I'm freaking out and…" She looked at Mina with a nervous smile. "Why in the world would they want to listen to me! I mean, they've listened to the others earlier this summer….and I mean…Kyo, or Jamie…or you…would be so much more interesting then-"

"Yeah right," Hiro snorted.

Mina shot him a good natured "go-to hell" look and cussed him out in Korean. Unlike Mina, who wore her red streaked hair in a messy ponytail…a sweaty, wrinkled gi, and very little make up…Kaori looked very pretty tonight. She wore a pair of nice jeans, and a simple t-shirt…Kaori had a natural talent for dressing very simply, yet looking great in everything she wore…a feat that Jamie said Mina had mastered…but she wasn't so sure. Her short, orange hair framed her face perfectly.

Mina admired Kaori for her style…both fighting and fashion.

The two had sparred regularly over the course of the summer, and both were relatively evenly matched.

"Don't worry about it," Mina said reassuringly. "Those kids see me and Jamie all the time, and Kyo's talked before…everyone's really looking forward to it, and they won't get nasty…I'll put them through conditioning if they do." She added with a smile.

"Thanks Mina I guess I'll-"

Just then the door opened…Mina craned her neck to see who it was…the school fell silent…and Mina could feel the tension in the air.

"I'll take care of this." Hiro said.

His voice sounded deep and threatening as his big brother instinct began to kick in. Mina wasn't one to judge but the kid who stood at the door looked like he was trouble. He was dressed in rather intimidating clothing…despite the intense heat outside, he wore a skin tight t-shirt with the band: The Violent Femmes on it…he also wore a pair of red and black checkered pants and combat boots. His eyebrow and lip were pierced, and his black bangs covered half of his face.

Mina supposed he was handsome in that dark…gothic sort of way…he looked like he'd be attractive as a goth, but if he pulled off any other style it would look terribly wrong. He didn't look like a vampire…mostly because he wasn't pale and it was still broad daylight out.

"Is Kim Sueng Mina here?" he asked in a low voice…one that sounded like it had a healthy relationship with cigarettes.

"Why do you want to know?" Hiro asked menacingly.

"I have something to give her…but I guess you're not going to be any help so…"

The goth kid pulled a fierce right hook, that sent her brother staggering, followed by a crushing side kick…he fell to the ground.

"HIRO!" Mina shouted.

The school erupted in bedlam after that…parents running to grab children, and the other black belts ready to fight. Mina and Kaori rushed to Hiro's aid, but the intruder grabbed Mina.

"Are you Kim Sueng Mina?" He asked.

"LET ME GO!" Mina shrieked.

"I won't bite," He smiled. "although you fuck a Nephilim so you're probably into that."

"Let her go!" Kaori called…she unleashed a punishing roundhouse kick to Grey's temple…he staggered, and let her go.

"Stupid bitch," Grey growled, he backhanded her and she staggered.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Mina snarled, dropping into her stance.

"Sorry sweetie…you don't wanna fight me…I'm more powerful then you're little Nephilim boy toy…I'm an Avatar."

"O…kay…" Mina began as she leapt into action. "Is that some sort of creepy fan boy thing? 'Cause me and Jamie have fought more then a few, pimply, overweight vampires who've called themselves Lestat!"

"I'm not a pimply fan boy…and I probably weigh less then you do!" Grey countered.

Grey gave her a left, a right, and a jumping spin kick.

"ARRGH!" Mina cried as she fell to the ground.

Kaori fell victim to a swift knee in the chest…satisfied, Grey threw two, manila envelopes at the girl's crouched forms.

"Invitations to the 6th tournament…be there…" Grey knelt down and smiled at Mina. "It's gonna be one hell of a good time!" He walked out of the dojo…leaving Mina, Kaori, and Hiro to slowly get up and attempt to calm the bedlam…

Author's Note: Okay…I'm sorry if this chapter sucked…but I tried really hard…and I know that Mina said that two people came, but I realized as I wrote this chappie that Heihachi coming in right now would mess up the plot so plz forgive me! Don't worry though, he will definitely make an appearance next chappie followed by another Tekken favorite! All awaits in the next chapter! Plz don't hate me, and sorry for the slow update…but y'know me, the first couple of chappies to all my stories are a little rough…oh, and yes, Mina will participate in this next tournament…I played Super Smash Brothers for the Gamecube over the weekend, and I was Zelda and for some reason, I just decided that Mina should be in this tournament…I know it sounds weird…probably b/c Zelda didn't really fight or anything in any of the Zelda games…and Mina didn't really do much of anything in my last couple of stories…oh well, shadowsin, if you're reading this then I hope I didn't mess up Kaori too bad! MUCH LOVE TO EVERYONE AND PLZ READ AND REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3: Test your Might

Chapter Three: Test Your Might

Author's Note: Hi everyone! MooNTeARZ is back…again…wow I use that line waaaayy too much…but what else can I say? Oh well, welcome to another installment of Ties That Bind…hope it's not sucking…anyway, this chapter will feature Jamie's latest encounter…and put Jamie in somewhat of a :ahem: compromising situation…well…read on! Oh…and this chapter takes place at night…like, two hours after Mina's encounter at the dojo! Oh, and I'm trying to find a way to cheat the system (because I love responding to reviews!) Okay…Devil Billy, thanks for your support and I'm glad you found your disk! Draconia 89, thanks again for all your reviews…yes, Jamie as an Abercrombie person is hilarious and just wait until you find out what they have him do! Thee Slushee, sorry…looking back on it, I have no idea why I compared Mina to Zelda or whatever…just pretend I didn't say anything…hope you like this chappie! Shadowsin…hope to hear from you soon buddy! AKMDS…I'll try my hardest to pair Grey with someone…actually, I had someone in mind, but I'm gonna wait a bit…pairing him w/ Asuka might be good, but it might not happen until a bit later if you don't mind…sorry…

"Jamie, are you ready yet!" Chris Patterson called from behind one of the changing rooms at his Abercrombie and Fitch.

"Um…" Jamie began from behind the wooden door. "There aren't any clothes for me to change into…there's just a pair of…" Jamie allowed himself a collective shudder. "…black boxer briefs…"

"Uh huh…" Chris began, his patience wearing thin. "You're point?"

"WAIT! WHAT!" Jamie shouted from behind the door.

"Look…just get dressed okay? You're scaring away the customers!" Chris muttered from behind a traffic stopping smile and movie star white teeth as several female customers walked by.

"Get dressed in WHAT! You told me I was just coming here to sell some clothes Chris! You didn't tell me that I was going to be parading around naked!"

"I know…but if I didn't tell you then you wouldn't have done it would you?"

"Most likely not! I swear to God Chris I am going to KILL YOU!" Jamie whispered harshly.

"Well it's going to have to wait until this is over…people are waiting and you're embarrassing me!"

Jamie sighed in the cramped dressing room and stared with disdain and disgust at the _one_ article of clothing he was to wear…from the little bench, adjacent to the door, they stared at him…mocking him.

_I don't even wear boxer briefs…I wear regular boxers…_

Still, Jamie sighed and knew what must be done…people who knew of his sacred calling had always praised him as a person who "always did what had to be done"…still, he had faced vampires and demons…he had saved the world from total annihilation more times then he could count…he had trekked through sewage…blood…actually been set on fire…flung from rooftops…electrocuted…and still…none of it compared to this.

Grudgingly, he slipped the underwear on…and slowly…ever so slowly opened the door…

"The last time I was this naked in any place that didn't involve a bedroom, a locker room, or a bathroom I was coming out of a uterus okay!" Jamie whispered harshly to Chris.

"Well," He said optimistically. "There's a first time for everything…now," He turned and faced Jamie…Chris too was wearing a pair of boxer briefs. "Let's go over some rules…stick to the shady corner, don't speak unless spoken to…don't try to 'out hot me'…don't talk about anything boring and lame like skateboarding or demon killing…or whatever you and your little undead playgroup talk about-"

"But-"

"Don't interrupt…and finally, above all else," Chris raked a hand through his stylized shaggy hair, and broke into his trademark, movie star grin. "Have some fun man." He finished by patting Jamie on the back as he made his way to the front of the store to network.

"Great…" Jamie nervously tucked a strand of blonde hair out of his eyes. "I'll just hang out here…in...my…underwear..."

(Two hours later)

Maybe it was the throbbing techno…or the nasty looks from the other snooty models…or perhaps it was the underlying self diluted vibe…but Jamie Parker was restless and ready to leave. He sighed and felt the beginnings of a tension headache start in between his eyebrows.

Before this experience, Jamie actually kind of liked techno…but he was a person who could only listen to it in small doses…briefly, he wondered if the people who worked at Abercrombie just grew accustomed to the throbbing music…or maybe their ears actually do become permanently damaged?

His already sensitive Nephilim ears began to feel like they were going to burst!

Jamie half heartedly greeted a group of people who walked in, then took in the surroundings again. He knew that on occasion, Abercrombie employees did dress only in underwear…at back to school time, and during the holidays…but seriously, Chris didn't say a word about this!

Then again, that was a typical, Chris Patterson thing to do…he'd bend the rules…"forget" certain things to make sure that he got what he wanted…and it had been that way since he and Jamie were nine…looking back on it, Jamie couldn't believe that the two had known eachother for ten years!

The most popular boy when the two were in highschool, Chris had model good looks, and an excellent physique from being the captain of the basketball team.

Back when they were little, Chris was Jamie's chief bully…he always teased and tormented him. Back before he became a Nephilim, Jamie was scrawny, shy, wore glasses, and hid behind baggy jeans, Hawaiian t-shirts, and his hair…he was a straight A student, and while his perfect GPA went down a few points after his calling, he still maintained at least an A average.

Still though, there were days when Chris and his cronies went to far to embarrass their favorite target…and there were times when Jamie would go home and be in tears…he'd never forget those dark times…but once he became the Nephilim, outside his circle of friends, Chris found out.

He never actively participated…most of the time, Jamie wound up saving his life…even when he became a Successor, Chris didn't show much of an interest in training.

At the time, an ancient evil was trying to kill the Successor's off one by one, and it was up to Jamie, the VDA, and his friends to find and protect them. Chris had been…difficult, but fortunately, he followed Devon's example and at least learned how to defend himself.

Of course Jamie wasn't giving Chris enough credit…he did survive several all out wars with the forces of darkness…he even managed to (in his own unique way) save Jamie's life once and awhile.

Being the Nephilim, meant coming with an expiration date…and because of this, Jamie had long since buried whatever grudges he had against Chris…what's past is past…but still…

Jamie knew that he could pull off this whole "underwear chic" look…a combination of a high metabolism, a jacked up Nephilim physiology, and countless hours of surfing and martial arts training had attested to that...but he still felt a tad uncomfortable.

In fact, the only thing that could possibly be worse would be…

"AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!"

The piercing cry echoed through the store, and it immediately snapped Jamie out of his day dreams. He had been leaning against one of the pillars, but he immediately leapt into action.

A female vampire had grabbed one of the other employees and pulled him into her deadly embrace.

"Hey!" Jamie called as he jumped.

Using his Nephilim speed and strength in the jump, he had managed to cross half the store…while in the air, he launched his feet out in a series of snap kicks…they found their home in the vampire's face, and he, and the demon landed in a heap against a shelf…meticulously folded, eighty dollar "vintage-chic" t-shirts landed all over them.

"You're gonna have to pay for that sweetie." Jamie said as he leapt up.

"Finally," She said with a smile and a flash of her fangs. "Something I can finally sink my teeth into!"

She landed a punch, and a small spin kick on the Nephilim.

"WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE ABOUT VAMPIRES WITH YOU!" Chris wailed.

As Jamie staggered back, he found his hands brush up against a metal rod with a hook on the end…it was used by employees to get shirt's down from hard to reach areas…and now, it would be used to maim this demon.

Jamie grabbed at it, and swung it in an arc, the hook was dull, but at the velocity that Jamie swung it, it embedded itself in her chest like a knife through butter…Jamie gave the hook a final wrench and a pull.

The creature screamed in agony and exploded in blue flames.

"Dead…it's a good look for you!" Jamie said as he finished her.

Judging by the snarls and screams throughout the mall there were more here tonight…and it was Jamie's job to finish them...

Quickly, he turned to Chris.

"Get everyone inside the back room, and pull the gate down!" He commanded.

Suddenly, the power shut down with deafening force…an old vampire favorite…

_Okay, this is nothing new…first I've gotta turn the power back on and get these people out…_

"Chris, where's the power station?" Jamie asked as he tossed the makeshift weapon to the Successor.

"I don't know-"

"DAMMIT CHRIS!" Jamie said exasperatingly.

"Hey, WATCH YOURSELF OKAY!" Chris shouted back (he wasn't used to getting yelled at).

"Um…I think it's in the parking garage…" Some guy stated…Jamie had only met him today…his name was Billy…or was it Ben?

"Thanks," Jamie nodded. "Don't come out until I get you guys okay?"

They nodded as Jamie jogged out of the store and into the suffocating blackness of the mall…

(New Scene…god I really wish I could use symbols…)

CCCRRAAAACCCCKKKK

With that deafening sound, another blood sucker bit the dust…its neck snapped in two, it turned to flame before it hit the marble floor.

"You…you saved my life…oh God you saved…our lives…"

The tearful reply of a mother clutching her two children touched the Nephilim's spirit…he had heard it many times in the past but he never grew tired of hearing it.

"I think you dropped this." Jamie said as he handed the little girl her new Build-a-Bear.

"Thank you…" She muttered.

"Are those…things…still around sir?" The terror stricken mother asked.

"For the moment ma'am," Jamie said with a reassuring smile. "But sit tight and I'll see what I can do…" He said with as much dignity as he could muster.

After all, he was standing there, killing demons clad in nothing but the black "manties" (as Maureen jokingly referred to them).

Before they could say anything else, Jamie jogged away, and headed down the east concourse. He needed a weapon and fast…right now, that mattered much more then clothing.

So far, he had managed to kill about nine vampires…that qualified as enough for a gang…but his senses were still tingling…and while there weren't any more vampires around he did sense another presence…something slightly more sinister…something that carried a Mishima vibe…and needed to be feared…he also sensed something else…something with a power to match his own…yet it was also ancient…timeless…sort of like the Nephilim line but somehow…different…

He knew that the parking garage wasn't going to happen right away…after all, the doors were locked, so how was he going to get down there? He also needed a weapon, and the only place that he could think of to find one would be at that "Official" Oriental Knife store.

Being a Nephilim made Jamie somewhat of an expert with blade weapons…the knives and swords on display at this store were for display mostly…owned by people who bought them because they were sure that they could become some kind of weird samurai like on the anime that they emulated.

These weapons, in reality, were gaudy, cheaply made, and served absolutely no practical purpose.

And Jamie Parker, the Nephilim was going to steal one.

Or possibly two…

He walked into the shop, and was greeted by a rather portly man…he held a crossbow in his hands and aimed it at Jamie.

"WHO ARE YOU! WHAT'RE YA DOIN' HERE! YOU AIN'T GETTING ANY OF MY STUFF!"

"Sir, please, I just need to borrow some weapons…I'll bring them right back and-"

It didn't work, despite Jamie's efforts to calm him down, he was running on pure fear…and he pulled the trigger. The shot went wide, and Jamie leapt across the counter, and decked the main in the face…not hard enough to break anything, but hard enough to knock him out.

He'd wake up in a few hours with a helluva headache but otherwise, he'd be fine. The Nephilim grabbed the cross bow, and slung it across his bare chest, he grabbed a couple of the bolts and placed them in a plastic shopping bag…next, he grabbed a kitana, followed immediately by a short sword.

"Dull…just as I thought…great…might as well be fighting with a butter knife."

Quickly, Jamie walked out of the store and down the concourse…he was on the second floor now, and the mall was relatively quiet…the people sought refuge in the department stores because those were where the exits resided. His bare feet padded along the cold tile floor, and the air gave him shivers…

Still, he pressed on, his instincts were telling him that they (whoever they were) were waiting for him in the food court…best get moving, Jamie was never late for an apocalypse…

He turned a corner and headed to the food court…the only sounds came from the trickling fountain in the center. The water poured out of open lion's mouths, and a beautiful skylight let pale moon beams glisten off the rippling water's surface.

The Food Court itself was on the second floor, with a balcony overlooking the first floor…escalators and an elevator led to it…the food court itself was a circular area, with various food stands all around…two hallways led to another section of the mall, while another, led to the arcade/movie theatre.

"The same movie theatre we're supposed to see Dukes of Hazzard in…bummer, I kinda wanted to see that…" Jamie mused.

"Aaaawww I'm sorry, did I ruin your plans?" A voice cut through the darkness.

"Maybe…" Jamie replied evenly…he still couldn't see who was speaking, but it was a low voice…one laced with cigarettes… "Depends on your definition of fun…I do have better things to do then kick your ass, but at this point, nothing more enjoyable!"

From the darkened shadows, Jamie saw a pair of scuffed and well worn combat boots…then came a pair of red flannel pants, a skin tight band t-shirt, and a rather radical hair style. His skin tone was slightly dark…maybe he was native American? While he was scrawny, Jamie could tell that he had definite muscle tone…Jamie noticed that the veins were popping up from his arms…which were covered in dozens of black, cheap bracelets…his fingers had chipped, black nail polish on them.

One side of his face was covered by black hair, with red streaks at the tips…his mahogany colored eyes were tinged with eyeliner, while his eyebrow and lip were both pierced.

"Oh god…you mean to tell me that this whole attack was started by some newly risen vampire?" Jamie said with mock exasperation. "I know you guys take this whole fetish-goth scene a little too seriously but let me tell yo-"

"I'm not a vampire you asshole…but I'm more powerful then you'll ever be!" Grey retorted.

"Really?" Jamie asked. "Well, the bigger they are, the harder they fall!"

He smiled, and whipped out the crossbow; he pulled the trigger and let an arrow fly…the arrow flew in mid air, and at the last second Grey snatched it from the air, and through it back with equal velocity! Jamie managed to dodge it…but only by a millisecond…the piercing arrow managed to graze against his exposed side.

"You were saying?" Grey asked.

_Okay…a bit more powerful then I thought…time to step it up…_

The two lunged at each other, Grey managed to connect a side kick to Jamie's exposed chest, but the Nephilim did score a hit in his rib cage with a shuddering punch.

"Augh!" Jamie yelped, as the kick landed.

It wouldn't have hurt so bad if it wasn't for the fact that the boots were steel toed.

"Guess it was too much for me to ask that you would've worn other goth kid shoes…like some converse or something?" Jamie muttered as he landed a reverse spin punch.

"WOOF!" Grey grunted.

The two engaged in fierce hand to hand, punching, blocking, and kicking. Jamie was having trouble keeping up, but he kept pace as best he could.

"God you really are stupid! What's the matter Nephilim forget to get dressed this morning?"

"Sort of…I'm helping a friend," Jamie countered with a jumping spinning kick…the blow connected, and sent Grey reeling. "But you wouldn't know anything about that would you? You people tend to be anti-everything!"

"Helping huh? Does that help include a bottle red wine, and some K-Y Lubrication?" Grey asked as he flung Jamie.

The Nephilim jettisoned into the fountain, with Grey in hot pursuit. Jamie managed to stand, but Grey was on him, and a punishing punch to the gut, involuntarily made the Nephilim stoop down.

Several ribs were broken…he knew that…but before he could retaliate, Grey grabbed him by the neck.

"Seriously, next time you decide to 'help' a friend…invite me over, we could have some fun!"

With that said, Grey dunked Jamie's head into the water…Jamie struggled but couldn't move…he was just too strong! Finally, desperately, with all his strength, Jamie jerked his head up…the force surprised his attacker, and left him open.

Jamie whirled around, grabbed Grey's right fist the one with rings on each finger…and the one that hurt like hell everytime Jamie was on the receiving end of it…and twisted…he twisted it as hard as he could.

A sound like dry twigs permeated the desolate hall followed by Grey's agonizing screams.

"I hate it when they try to drown me." He said coolly, as he leapt out of the water, and threw Grey into a pillar…it cracked.

"I'm not the one who's wearing nothing but underwear buddy!" Grey said through clenched teeth.

"Okay…it's time we end this so this is how it's going to go-" He said as he walked over to Grey's crouched form.

Jamie didn't finish before he felt something incredibly sharp pierce his stomach…reflexively, Jamie staggered back and clutched at his abdomen…he looked down to see a switchblade buried hilt deep in his intestines…

"You were saying?" Grey asked sweetly. "You hurt me, I hurt you…it's just that I'm a little better at it!"

Grey rushed Jamie, and tackled the Nephilim against the railing…quickly, Grey smashed his forearm against Jamie's windpipe, while Jamie wrapped his hands around Grey's neck…both trying to choke each other out.

"I'll never forgive you for what you did!" Grey shouted through clenched teeth.

Suddenly, just as he was going to pass out, he felt light…and Grey's supernatural weight lifted off him…as quickly as he could (with a knife sticking out of his stomach) Jamie stood up, and pulled it out.

He looked to the right and saw Robbie, his best friend, holding Grey down, and attempting to pummel him in the face.

"Jamie…c'mon, let's get you out of here!" Maureen said soothingly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What…who…" Jamie began.

With gritted teeth he stood up and pulled the knife out.

"Oh…this looks bad…we gotta stop the bleeding…" Maureen said…typical Maureen, always thinking of others in a crisis.

"GET OFF ME!" Grey barked angrily.

To his credit, Robbie managed to punch Grey square in the jaw before the young man flipped him off.

"Robbie!" Maureen called.

Against Jamie's better judgment, he half limped, half hobbled over and helped his friend up.

"We gotta get outta here! Mina told us to find you and we got the power on but this old Japanese man is coming and-"

"What Japanese man?" Jamie asked.

Just then, the skylight exploded raining shards of broken glass everywhere…standing in the center, was an old man…probably in his 70's…at first, Jamie thought that it was Jinpachi, they both had similar hairstyles…but then again, this man looked (only slightly) younger.

"Who…" Jamie began.

"JAMIE!" A voice called.

Jamie, Robbie, and Maureen turned, and saw someone barreling up the escalator.

Kazuya Mishima…

"That's the guy who helped us get the power back…" Robbie informed.

Jamie looked around, and indeed did notice the power turned on again…he must not have noticed it before on the account of he almost died at least twice in the last ten minutes.

Quickly, Kazuya got himself between Jamie and his friends, and Heihachi and Grey.

"Hello son…I'm sad to say that this isn't really a social visit."

"Get out now…before I really commit to my original idea of patricide." Kazuya snarled.

"Oh you couldn't kill me, you've tried before and you failed miserably!" Heihachi shot back.

"You know what they say….third times the charm."

"Sir," Grey said. "He pissed me off…can't I kill him?" He asked looking in Jamie's direction.

"Now Grey…remember, we can't kill him…yet…here," Heihachi threw two manila envelopes on the ground. "Hope to see you there!"

Suddenly, the sounds of whirring helicopter blades filled the air, and two rope ladders tumbled down. Jamie wanted to fight, but Kazuya still stood stoically…and Kazuya knew Heihachi better then Jamie did…and besides, Jamie wasn't exactly in the best physical state right now.

He watched Grey grab the ladder easily…and unfortunately, he also noticed that the hand that he had broken only minutes ago now seemed to be functioning normally.

At best, Jamie wouldn't be completely healed until tomorrow morning…give him another half an hour and he'd be well enough to function and fight again…

Jamie wordlessly watched as they began to ascend…and realized that his nice, normal summer that he had been enjoying less then eight hours ago had been shattered like the skylight above them.

Looking down, he recognized the manila envelope all too well…inside was a packet…a packet about as big as the ones that come with a college admissions letter…he had received one before…and it had ushered him into the Iron Fist Tournament…

"C'mon you guys…" He began, disappointment tinged in his voice.

Soundlessly, he picked up the envelopes and glanced at the address.

**Mr. James Brandon Parker**

**12636 Morganside Way**

**Treasure Island Florida, 35192**

He clutched it to his stomach and sighed…outside, he heard sirens, they couldn't stay long…

"We've got some serious homework to do," He addressed his friends. "And you're here, so that can't be good either." He finished, glancing at Kazuya.

"I wish it was." Kazuya stated.

"Yeah well…let's head over to the Karate Place and figure some of this shit out…I've got a feeling I know who came to visit Mina…"

Author's Note: Okay, sorry but this chapter was soooo long and hard to write that I had to take some breaks…I hope you liked it and sorry if it was a little rushed…MUCH LOVE TO EVERYONE PLZ READ AND REVIEW! Oh, and to shadowsin, of course Kaori's in the tournament! So is Kyo, and thanks for the polite way for asking…of course, I wouldn't have had a prob if you DEMANDED it either LOL! It may be my story, but they're your characters and in the end you've got more authority then me! Anyway, hope you enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4: Unknown Evils

Chapter 4: Meeting of The Minds…

Author's Note: Not much new…bummer about no reply's to reviews…well, forgive me if this chapter doesn't have a lot of action…instead it's time for some…are you ready…some hard core RESEARCH TIME! Oh, and thanks to krappkarmin for drawing she made for me! It's really nice and I greatly appreciate it! Sorry, for not saying anything earlier…but I've been busy…but thank you so much! It really means so much to me…I put it on my webpage on and it's got bunches of comments on how cool it is…um…well, I'm not a great drawer or anything…so I can't offer much but…this chapter is officially dedicated to…KRAPPKARMIN!

"So…this is the Chosen One's nerve center…the place where all the apocalypses and demons are defeated huh?" Kazuya Mishima asked as he stood at the head of the cheap, collapsible table.

It was late…the clock on the wall read 11:46, and Kim Sueng Karate was silent. The mat smelled heavily of cleaning solution, the mirrors of Windex, and all the weapons were placed neatly on their racks. All the sparring pads were placed in the giant, Tupperware container underneath the weapons rack.

Jamie supposed that it was better then the way it normally smelled…like feet and body odor. He walked towards the hall table wearing a rumpled pair of gi pants that he had left in his locker awhile back. His once blonde hair, now hung in damp strands around his face.

He had a red hair tie around his right wrist, and a white hand towel on his head as he vigorously began drying his mop of wet hair. He wasn't wearing any shoes or a shirt…several white bandages were placed along the wounded spots. One near his belly button, and one on his side.

"Well…what did you expect?" Jamie asked.

He took his traditional seat at one of the heads. Mina sat to his right, Robbie on his left. Maureen and Kaori faced each other on opposite sides, while Kazuya stood at the other end.

"Something more…" Kazuya began.

"Secret agent-y?" Kaori finished.

Everyone laughed, and it broke the silence for a bit.

"So Jamie," Maureen began. "Loved the outfit we saw you in…made me actually wanna go out and buy some underwear."

"Let's not even go there…" Jamie grumbled as he towel dried his hair. "Last time I ever do anything for Chris…he didn't even tell me I'd be wearing only manties…"

"I don't see what's the big deal? I mean, I see you in your underwear all the time!" Mina began. "And believe me it's not that stunning."

"You know you like it…you're just jealous that you didn't get to see me in all my glory." Jamie said with a smile as he began to tie his hair back.

"I've had the full Jamie Parker experience thank you!" Mina said with a smile.

"I still can't believe you didn't know they do that at Abercrombie anyway…"

"Robbie, I never shop there…it's hard enough to imagine me going in…much less working."

"So I guess moonlighting as an underwear model on the side isn't going to happen for our favorite Nephilim?" Kaori asked sweetly.

"How much money did you make?" Kyo asked with a smirk on his face.

"I walked with about 250…" Jamie said as he gave his hair one final shake.

"DAMN! I should've done that too!" Kyo said with a chuckle.

Kazuya let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes.

_Teenagers…I hope I wasn't like this when I was their age!_

With a loud clattering, he threw five envelopes on the table…with the smooth surface, they skidded towards the center.

"I hate to break up the pleasantries but we're running short on time."

Kazuya was a little bit surprised and pleased to see Jamie revert from laughing and joking around to becoming incredibly serious and answering with a smooth…"alright"

"Okay…so…I guess we'll start with the basics…or at least, the main question I have…" Jamie began. "How can Heihachi start an Iron Fist tournament…I mean…you own the whole Zaibatsu…and question number two…everyone said he was dead…he seemed pretty alive and kicking when he busted through the skylight like that." Jamie replied evenly.

Kazuya shook his head. "I have no idea how he's managed to stay alive…but that doesn't matter now…he still has authority to call the tournament…not only has he been leaking funding for it out of encrypted bank accounts, but he's also made it clear in his will that he will only pass the Zaibatsu on after his death…well, he's still alive…" Kazuya said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"But…dad…" Kyo began. "The Zaibatsu was yours and Jin's…I mean, I don't know much about business and stuff but…you guys were doing great things for the people…for the world…"

Jamie had to admit that Kyo was right, this whole summer, you couldn't pick up a newspaper or turn on the news without hearing about how the Mishima Zaibatsu was sending food and supplies to a starving nation…or setting up charities for a certain group of people…Jamie was pleased to see this happen, the Mishima Zaibatsu certainly had enough money and the technology to really make a difference in the world…and Heihachi Mishima had used it for his own warped…and twisted experiments.

"Do…" Jamie began. "What about the others? Do they know about this?"

"Invitations were delivered a week ago…Jin and Xiaoyu know about the tournament…I don't know about Julia or Hwoarang…or Steve and Christie. Asuka knows though…so does Billy." Kazuya began.

Jamie thought he noticed Robbie's eyes pick up at Asuka's name…but he decided to ignore it…

"What about that new kid? The goth one? He seemed pretty pissed off." Maureen pointed out.

"What goth kid?" Kyo asked.

"The goth kid who hit me with my own arrow from a crossbow, tried to drown me, shattered a few ribs, and stabbed me in the gut." Jamie answered.

"Oh…thaaaatt Goth kid." Kyosuke said.

"This is serious though you guys…we don't know anything about him…at all." Kaori said.

"Well, we do know that he goes by the name Grey…but that can't be his real name…a nickname or something." Jamie said, thinking aloud, "Do you think you can Google someone with that kind of info Mo?" The Nephilim asked.

"It's a broad topic but yeah…I can try…if I look under images I'm sure I can find him…I mean he really did stand out."

"And not just with his looks either! Kid nearly broke my arm…seriously, he doesn't look like he's got any muscle on 'im!" Robbie interjected.

"He's got something alright." Jamie said.

"Do you think that he could be another Nephilim Jamie…I mean…can that happen?" Kaori asked.

"I…I don't think so…I mean…there can only be one of me…and he felt powerful…really powerful." Jamie turned to Kazuya. "I mean, Kazuya, he kicked my ass without even trying…I broke his hand…and I mean I shattered it! Any normal person would have permanent damage after what I did…but he just walked it off after five minutes."

"All I know is that Heihachi adopted him…he did say that he needed you and Grey for his plan though." Kazuya said.

"That's right! And I remember Grey said that he would get you back for something…"

"For what? I don't even know him…the only reason I'd give him a second glance on the street is because of his sideways mullet." Jamie interjected.

"He is very powerful though…" Mina said with her eyes lowered firmly on her tournament invite.

"Wait…how do you know?" Jamie asked.

"Grey came to pay us a visit before he went after you…that's how we got our invites." Kaori said.

"WHAT!" Kyo began.

"What happened?" Jamie asked, slightly more calmer.

"HE DIDN'T TOUCH YOU DID HE?" Kyo practically shouted.

"He beat us down pretty bad…but…we kind of got the feeling that he was…testing us…I mean…he came in looking for me…" Mina said.

"Specifically?" Kazuya asked.

"Yes," Mina nodded, looking at Kazuya. "He asked my brother a couple of times where I was."

"I'm going to kill him…" Kyo seethed, calming down a little, but not a lot.

"Kyo, we got attacked…I mean, in the tournament, before Jamie killed Anna, I almost got shot…people like us get hurt…the important thing is that none of the kids were attacked, and we weren't seriously wounded." Kaori said gently.

"Still…that little freaks gonna get it!"

"He will…I just don't know what I'm gonna give him at the moment." Jamie began, chewing on a thumbnail pensively (a habit he'd had since he was little that he could never quite break).

"At anyrate, he's best to be avoided until we know more about him. Maureen…right?" Maureen nodded. "Do you think that you can research the matter further with Robbie here and email us some results while we're away!"

"You got it!" She said happily.

"So…I guess this means that we're all heading back to Japan huh?" Jamie asked.

"Sounds like it…" Kyo began.

"Another Iron Fist Tournament…I'm a little nervous…" Kaori began.

"Don't be…we're hot chicks with martial arts skills…we'll be fine!" Mina reassured.

That broke the tension a bit and the meeting was officially adjourned…everyone was hungry (including Jamie…and even Kazuya!)…but no one could agree on what they wanted. Jamie wanted McDonalds, Mina wanted to eat at Bennigans…Robbie wanted a Philli Cheese Steak, while Maureen wanted a salad…Kyosuke wanted a pizza, and Kaori wanted sesame chicken…Kazuya wanted a steak…

"Alright then, we're going to Taco Bell…they've got all that stuff there." Jamie said.

"Really?" Kaori and Kyo asked in unison.

"Sort of…it's called a chalupa…and it kind of tastes like everything we all want, rolled into a shell…" Mina added.

The Taco Bell wasn't too far away…Jamie had put on a t-shirt to walk down to the restaurant, and as he did he got to thinking…back during the last tournament he had clearly known his objective…but now…he was going in blind with a new enemy to contend with…

But with close friends and…

Mina…

With him, he knew that he'd be fine…

Author's Note: Sorry if this sucked…but I'm not exactly great with dialogue…and sorry if it's short but I'm exhaustedly tired! Once again, thanks to everyone who reads and reviews and especially thanks to krappkarmin who was nice enough to draw for me! I really appreciate it! Have a good day! MUCH LOVE TO ALL AND PLZ READ AND REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5: Elated Reunions

Chapter Five: Elated Reunion…

Author's Note: Alrighty…this chapter as the name implies will have reunions…LOTS of them…so sit back and hold on! Oh, and if you're interested, two pictures of Jamie and Mina are on my website! Krappkarmin was nice enough to draw them for me, so check 'em out if you get a chance…and leave a comment cuz that'd be sweet…I really can't tell you exactly what my webpage is here, cuz it'll not show up when I post this…but check my profile and click on my homepage! Thanks! Oh…and enjoy the humor while it lasts…don't worry, y'all know me, it's gonna get all action-y and angsty pretty soon!

_Tokyo Japan…_

_Narita Airport,_

_August 10, 2005_

The airport was packed as the five fighters got off the plane. The early afternoon sun streamed radiantly through the huge glass windows.

"So…did you get any sleep?" Kyo asked as he yawned.

"I tried too…but my pillow smelled like farts." Jamie responded.

"EEEEEWWWW! Can we talk about something else please?" Kaori asked.

"You boys are so immature!" Mina added with a laugh. "I couldn't fill out all those damn questions on the applications! We were in the air for over ten hours and I'm still not finished!"

"Don't worry Mina, you've got plenty of time…and only the first like, three pages are really important…as long as you got to the part about your fighting styles and stuff you'll be fine."

"Well that's good…I got up to the medical stuff and then just quit…by the way," She turned to Jamie. "Did you add that you were highly allergic to latex?"

"Yes…**mom**…" Jamie said with an exaggerated sigh.

"I just want to make sure you're safe that's all." Mina said.

"And you know I appreciate it…" Jamie wrapped his arm around her and kissed her lightly on the side of her head. "And I'm going to make sure that you're safe too…" He whispered.

"Aawww…you two are so sweet…" Kaori said.

"Wait…if you're allergic to latex…then how…" Kyo began.

"Oh…well…" Mina began to turn as scarlet as her hair color.

"Oh look," Jamie said, with his voice cracking. "There's the baggage claim!"

Kazuya had gotten off the plane early and told the four that he would meet them later…he had business to attend to at the Zaibatsu, the best thing that the others could do was to check into the hotel and to "Stay out of trouble!"

The only problem was that (usually) Jamie didn't go out looking for trouble…trouble tended to find him!

With the recent turn of events that the world was in, no one was allowed past the security checkpoints and metal detectors other then people who were coming off, or going on to a plane…up until the four got into baggage claim the airport was relatively quiet…but as soon as they descended the escalator…all hell had officially broken loose!

Japanese paparazzi were everywhere!

Jamie and the others rushed to get their bags…and unfortunately, didn't see any of their friends…they noticed some of the new fighters…but Jamie didn't see anyone he recognized.

"I never knew it was this bad…" Mina breathed.

"This tournament's kinda like your American Super Bowl…the Iron Fist tournaments are big everywhere…but especially in Japan." Kyo informed.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this…" Mina said through nervous laughter.

The flash bulbs from countless cameras flooded Jamie's eyes as he and the others made their way to the waiting limo…as they ran the gauntlet millions of questions rang in their ears.

"MR. PARKER! JAMIE! WHO'S THE CUTE GIRL WITH YOU!"

"MISS, MISS! CAN WE GET A PICTURE? ARE YOU DATING JAMIE!"

"KYO! KYO! HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR GRANDFATHER HOLDING ANOTHER TOURNAMENT!"

"MISS MITSAKI? MISS MATSAKI? ANY PLANS OF MARRIAGE!"

The voices still carried as the limo pulled away from the airport towards the Mishima Hotel.

(New scene)

The flashes from the cameras didn't stop once the four reached the hotel…but luckily, after braving a gauntlet of paparazzi in the hotel's walkway…they suddenly stopped (thanks to the help of scary looking security guards). Mishima Hotel was just as Jamie remembered it…yet different some how…probably because the last time he was here it was winter, so it was always snowing, overcast and cold…he had never really realized how stunning the hotel actually looked on a late summer day such as this one.

The hotel was a very open and modern establishment…high glass windows and ceilings allowed the suns rays to filter in and splash across the ornate tile floors and wash onto the exotic plants in the solarium in the other room. To the immediate left of the doors was the front desk…decorated in beautiful and expensive jade and mahogany.

The attendants behind the counter were all women…beautiful, tall, and statuesque…while the bellhops all looked as if they had stepped out of the pages of a men's fashion magazine.

A small sitting area was set up to the right of the entrance…it was nothing incredibly fancy…just a few comfortable chairs and a coffee table. To the left of that, was a lounge area. That served drinks and various appetizers…the main food was served in the five star dining hall…and a door from the dining hall led to the infamous Mishima Hotel Ball Room.

The Hotel also boasted owning it's own Shinto Temple (in the beautifully manicured back lawn), a Zen Garden, state of the art training facilities, and several entertainment areas.

Most people would give an arm and a leg to stay at such a fancy hotel…one that if you weren't royalty, or some A list celebrity, you weren't really getting in.

The Nephilim always thought that it was funny that the fighter's never stayed in the actual hotel very long…if memory served him correctly, everyone tended to go out every night and party with the "commoners" in dance clubs and the like.

"Hello, and welcome to the Mishima Hotel." The woman behind the counter said.

She gave off a smile that reminded Jamie of a toothpaste commercial…and her breath smelled like Altoid breath mints.

"Hi," Jamie responded evenly. "We're here for the tournament," He gestured to his friends. "I'm Jamie Parker…and this is Kyo Kazam-"

"I'm sorry," The woman interrupted. "You won't actually get your room assignments at this time…we're still making preparations…we apologize for the inconvenience…but-" The woman's low, soothing voice made her sound almost mechanical.

"It's okay…we'll find something to do." Mina interrupted graciously with a smile.

"I can think of something we could do…" Jamie said with mock innocence.

"Niiiccceee…" Kyo said and the two high fived.

"OH! You two!" Mina said in mock exasperation.

"Really Kyo…is that all you boys think about?" Kaori asked. "C'mon Mina, I'm thirsty…let's get something to drink."

"I'm with you…it girl talk time…"

Suddenly, the doors to the hotel opened and in walked someone that Jamie had never seen before…he wore a pair of brown, corduroy pants, and a brown pull over. He wore an expensive gold watch and several rather nice looking rings on his fingers. His hair was tied back in dreads, and he wore a pair of sunglasses. He looked Brazilian, but then again, Jamie could've been wrong.

Jamie watched him, and the man turned and looked at him…he offered a small smile, and a polite nod before walking to the front desk.

"No more pictures you guys!" A girl's voice giggled from outside. "Seriously…I've gotta get inside or Eddy'll kill me…no more pictures…okay…maybe one more…make sure you get my good side!"

Jamie, Kyo, Mina and Kaori looked at eachother.

"Christie." They said in unison.

Christie continued to pose for the camera for another five minutes before walking inside the hotel. Her exotic, reddish brown hair fell in long, flowing, waves down her back; a pair of white, trendy sunglasses were perched atop her head. She wore a black top, that tied at the neck, leaving her back, and limber arms bare. Christie also wore a tight denim miniskirt, and her trademark sandals.

Behind her, were two drooling bellhops carrying two gilded luggage carts that were filled to the brim with the Capoeira Masters clothing and make up.

"Christie," Mina called and waved. "Over here!"

Truthfully, Mina was a little envious of the other girls in the tournament…and while she loved everyone of them, she couldn't help but feel a tad jealous of each of the girl's unique traits…Christie was so pretty…and so nice…and she was such a great dancer.

Any other girl who wore the outfits that Christie did would be immediately labeled as a slut or a whore, but on Christie, they looked great, and no one said anything.

"Oh my God!" Christie exclaimed loudly.

She rushed to the four teens and embraced each one of them in a hug.

"You guys look so great!" She said with a smile.

"You do too," Mina said. "I love you're outfit!"

"Thanks," She said and did a slow turn to model it. "I know I'm a little over dressed…but I wanted to make Steve totally lose his fish n' chips when he see's me." Her smile faded for a second. "You haven't seen him yet have you?"

"Why? What's wrong? Did you guys break up?" Kaori asked, genuine concern on the petite Japanese girl's face.

"What? Oh no…no not all…but with this whole Pussycat Dolls thing…and he being the,"  
She faked a British Accent. "Middle Weight Champion of the World…we haven't really seen each other since the wedding."

"We haven't seen him yet…do you want us to go check?" Jamie asked.

"Seriously…me and Kaori were just going to go get a drink…Jamie and Kyo can look if you want?" Mina asked.

"Hey…standing here…standing right here!" Kyo said.

"Mina and I needed some girl talk…being on the plane with these two for the last ten hours has been insane!" Kaori said with a giggle and a wink at her boyfriend.

"That's typical male behavior…don't be too hard on them." Christie said. "They're real sweeties…but…if you guys don't mind?" Christie asked.

"Nah…it's no biggie…we'll find him…I've got all those crazy Nephilim skills."

"Don't forget my sweet Devil moves!" Kyo chimed in.

"Thanks you guys…you both are so sweet…but first, I want you all to meet someone." Christie said.

She turned and motioned for the man Jamie saw earlier to walk over. "This is my friend Eddy…he taught me Capoeira."

"Pleased to meet you all…" He said politely.

Jamie could tell he wasn't much of a talker.

"Hey, how's it going?" Jamie asked as he gave Eddy a handshake.

Quickly, Eddy excused himself to check out the rest of the hotel.

"You'll have to forgive him…he's a little shy around new people…" Christie added.

"Hey don't worry about it!" Kyo said…he turned to Jamie. "So, we're on a Steve hunt right?"

"Right!" Jamie replied.

They turned to leave until Mina called him back.

"Yeah?" Jamie asked.

Mina gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. "You really are a great boyfriend…hurry back okay?"

"Yes ma'am!" Jamie said with a grin.

Quickly, he chased after Kyo, and the two ran down the hall.

(New Scene)

It wasn't that hard to find Steve Fox…he was in the locker room in the pool area…Jamie could tell because his acute, Nephilim sense of smell picked up Steve's distinct odor…Steve smelled vaguely of moth balls, and some kind of shower gel that Jamie remembered when the two roomed together in the last tournament.

They found him standing in front of one of the mirror's fixing his hair…Steve Fox…one of the hunks of the Iron Fist Tournament…his hair and eyes were about a shade lighter then Jamie's own…Steve was good looking and he knew it…and while he was a good hearted person, most people only saw him as self diluted…cocky…and arrogant…

Steve ran his fingers under the faucet and combed his wet fingers through his hair…which had grown a bit in length and was now parted down the middle rather then slicked straight back. Jamie remembered hearing that he was Nina's son…and he supposed that there was a resemblance in the two.

In a lot of ways, Steve reminded Jamie of his friend Robbie back home…which was probably why the two were such good friends…of course, out of most (if not all) The Iron Fist fighters, Jamie was the youngest fighter in the tournament…even Asuka was a month older then he was!

Still, in this tournament, friendships were not made based on age…rather it all depended on how good you were in the ring…it was simple here…respect equals friendship…and sometimes…rivalries…

Jamie felt somewhat stupid that this was his second Tournament and he still wasn't up to date on all the rivalries that go down…but then again, these sort of things seem to start and end overnight…and it was hard for most people to keep up as well.

"Steve?" Jamie asked.

"Oi…who's that?"

"It's Kyo!" Kyo called.

"And Jamie!"

"Hey!" He turned and flashed a huge grin. "How've you guys been?"

"Pretty good…y'know, I'm not dead and the world hasn't been sucked into hell!" Jamie said with his trademark sarcasm.

"It's kinda been a normal summer for us kids." Kyo added.

"That's great you guys…um…you haven't seen Christie have you?"

Jamie and Kyo struggled to keep a straight face.

"Um…yeah…she's with Mina and Kaori." Jamie said.

"Has…she said anything about me?" Steve asked.

"Yeah…kind of…" Jamie said.

"Well…I'm glad that she's livin' it up with the Pussycat Dolls…cause I've got a big boxing career and…she didn't say if she met anyone else did she?"

"I don't think so…let's go find her and check." Kyosuke said.

With Steve in tow, the three walked back towards the main lobby.

"Sir, this is a no smoking area…please…"

"I don't understand the logic here! You've got a crazy ass fucking ninja wondering around here with a kitana…so why can't I have my fucking cigarette! Do you know how long of a flight I've had!"

Jamie didn't have to second guess who THAT voice belonged to.

And, sure enough, as they turned the corner they saw Hwoarang…using gestures with one hand, and holding his cigarette in the other.

"Hwoarang…just put the damn thing out…" Jin sighed.

"No Kazama…I don't have to do anything!"

"Yeah!" Billy Kazama chimed in.

Jamie laughed…it was kind of funny how Billy Kazama idolized Hwoarang, and wanted to be just as badass as him…Billy was mostly talk, but he did have some serious power to back it up.

"Sir…please allow me to direct you to the nearest smoking section and-"

"By that time it'll have burned out genius…look, I hate airplanes anyway, and I'm going on a fuckin' NIC FIT! Just let me smoke!"

The concierge sighed and walked away.

"Nice job…we're here for barely five minutes and you've already nearly gotten us kicked out." Jin said with his arms crossed.

"What Jin?" Billy asked. "The man has to smoke."

"You'd better watch yourself 'cuz…with all the gel you use…if any of those ashes hit your hair, you'll go up like a torch." Kyo said wisely.

"Then you'll really be a flame head like your idol Billy!" Jamie added.

"Fuck off Jamie!" Billy said.

"Hey…" Hwoarang said through the cigarette poking out of his mouth. "Look who it is…my favorite Chosen Warrior for Christ, and mini-me."

"Hey you guys!"

"Jamie…Kyosuke…it's good that you're here…we need to get together with father and figure out what's been going on…we need to know how Heihachi managed to cheat death and who's this new kid we've been seeing."

"Kazama…don't be a fucking party foul…" Hwoarang said as he tapped the ashes, and smudged the last of his cigarette into one of the potted plants.

"And we said we were going to keep low profiles!" Jin spat. "Instead you had to go off on that concierge…wait to go Hwoarang!"

"Listen, Kazama-"

"Hey," Jamie interrupted. "Where are the girls?"

"Jules, Xiao, and Asuka went to the bar." Billy said.

"Then they've probably met up with Kaori and Mina…let's go." Kyosuke said.

(New Scene…)

The bar was packed as the other fighters began to filter in…but Jamie and the others managed to find their friends, who waved them over to a booth.

"Hey Christie…" Steve said nervously.

"Oh…hi Steve…"

"I like your…" Both began.

"Do you wanna-" Steve started.

"Yes…LIKE NOW!"

And with that, both ran off towards the restrooms.

"Well…" Jamie said, breaking the silence. "At least that wasn't weird."

"Jamie! Hey!" Julia exclaimed. She embraced Jamie in a hug.

She wore a turquoise, billowy skirt that was popular among girls nowadays, and a brown camisole top. Her hair was down and she wore traditional, Native American jewelry. Xiaoyu looked pretty as ever in a trendy, bohemian printed summer dress…and Jin looked handsome in a tight black t-shirt and jeans. His hair wasn't gelled…which, once again, Jamie would have to get used too.

Hwoarang was wearing a pair of baggy jeans, and a t-shirt that had a smiley face on it…only the smiley face had a bullet hole through it's forehead…and x's for eyes and a sad frown.

Asuka was next…she wore a pair of flared jeans and a t-shirt that said "Just break up with me!"

After the two had exchanged pleasantries, Jamie remembered something.

"Robbie told me to tell you that he says 'hi!'" Jamie said.

Asuka blushed slightly…and once again, Jamie filed that in his memory banks to bring up later with Mina.

The group chatted some more…filling everyone in on their lives…and while important issues needed to be discussed, they were never brought up…much was forgotten with funny stories and laughing…and they were blissfully unaware that they were being watched from the corner of the bar…he watched them…talking…laughing…and having a great time…and he realized how unfair it was…

Grey watched Jamie laugh at a joke, then tell a funny story and get the others roaring…and he couldn't wait until the time came when he'd punch those pearly teeth of his down the Nephilim's fucking throat…

Author's Note: Okay…this chappie was hard to write so sorry it took so long…hope it was okay…PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND MUCH LOVE TO EVERYONE! Oh, and to shadowsin…you're idea sounds awesome…and I will use it…if you don't mind waiting like…two chapters…or maybe one…no…no definitely two…then that will SOOOO happen! Hope you like this story so far!


	6. Chapter 6: Grey's Anatomy

Chapter Six: Grey's Anatomy

Author's Note: Heyz everybody! I'm baaaaaccccckkkk and once again here with another chapter…as the title suggests, this one will be a bit Grey-tastic…and include a few surprises! Oh, and don't worry, just 'cause it's a little Grey-centric doesn't mean it won't include any Tekken Characters…in fact, you'll be surprised who decides to show up! Well, here we go! Bummer that we can't respond to reviews…so I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time to read and review…and for those who don't review thank you for even taking the time to read! I really appreciate it!

Douglas Greyson had seen quite enough at the bar…he was disgusted, pissed off, and tired. He was a mix of emotions right now…he wanted to smoke, he wanted to beat shit up…and he felt horny for some reason (but that was nothing new…) He watched Jamie and his friends from his corner and downed a shot of tequila…it burned on the way down and felt like it would take the lining off his throat.

He did love Japan for this…the legal drinking age was 18…well; Grey had jumped that hurtle two years ago…other then that, Grey felt remarkably out of place and uncomfortable here.

The biggest city he had ever been to prior to Tokyo was Nashville…and that was only for a summer vacation at the Orphanage…

"Can take the boy out of A-Town…but can't take the A-Town outta the boy…" He mumbled to himself…using the slang term for his beloved home town of Alcoa Tennessee.

He hadn't been back there since December…he really had no reason too…his home, and his family were burnt to ashes…and it would be too hard…he had some friends there, but he hadn't kept in much contact with them.

He sighed and took another drag of his cigarette and blew it out of his nostrils…the bartender…who's name was Jinichiro or something to that affect…refilled his drink…which Grey downed quickly again.

He loved the power that he received from being an Avatar…but the only problem with it was that he couldn't get as drunk as he used too…his liver had been so jacked up with a tolerance that the best he could hope for was a heavy buzz…and a warm fuzzy feeling over his face.

"Thanks…" He slurred somewhat…and smudged his ciggie in the ashtray.

He continued watching Jamie and his friends and thought disgustingly how it looked like some kind of international acne cream commercial…and to top it all off, Jamie was drinking coke! He was nineteen fucking years old! Why in the hell was he drinking coke!

Grey decided it was time to leave…he wasn't in this tournament to make friends…but a very small part of him wished that he could…Grey chalked this sudden feeling of sentimentality up to the fact that he was buzzing from the nicotine and the alcohol…

He realized that it was only early afternoon…and that it was a little distasteful to get hammered now…but, in America…it was probably night time anyway…and he was still running on that time zone.

He paid the bartender and blearily began to walk out of the lounge…the sunlight felt somewhat harsh to his eyes, so he whipped out a pair of sunglasses and put them on. They were plastic looking, and rectangular shaped…they cost about thirty dollars…which Grey thought was highway robbery, so he decided to steal them.

And so, here he was…Tokyo…and he was restless…

What was there to do here?

"Hey!" A booming voice echoed through the hotel lobby.

Grey broke into a grin…looks like he was going to have a fun day after all.

Quickly, he turned around to see who was calling him…he was a big man…he had scraggly white hair that looked as if it had been black at one time. He was remarkably tan and wore alligator printed pants and a vest to match. His shoes were…big surprise…also alligator print…

Maybe it was the liquor running through his body…or maybe it was his naturally violate temper…but Grey immediately took a disliking to this man…and when that happened, fists tended to fly and bones started to get broken.

Grey sighed.

"What do you want?"

The man smiled cockily and gave Grey a quick once over.

"You new here or sumthin' kid?"

"Yes…yes I am new…" Grey began. He took off his sunglasses and sighed again. "Look, why don't you tell me what you want. I'm tired, and it's too FUCKING HOT!"

"I'm Marduk…Craig Marduk…" He began.

"Uh huh?"

Grey crossed his arms across his chest and let his long shock of black hair sway in the air conditioning.

"And I don't like you!" He said.

"Well we have something in common then." Grey answered coolly.

"I've heard about you," Marduk began to walk towards Grey…who still stood his ground.

"Most people in this tournament are afraid of me…you realize that don't you?" He got right up to Grey's face.

"Most people are sheep…" The young man answered.

Marduk began to get angry now…as a sort of ritual, he always harassed the newbies…and this little goth punk (Or "emo" as they were now called) kid wasn't budging.

"I heard you're Heihachi's new little bitch…you're gonna go cryin' to him after I'm done with you…"

"Back…up…off…" Grey snarled…his mahogany eyes glinting with rage.

He'd been abused before…he went to a foster home for 3 months when he was twelve where the father had beat him and…done other things…since then, Grey had some issues with his personal space being violated when he was threatened.

His pierced lip curled in anger…and he could feel his muscles tensing. Marduk only laughed…after all, this kid couldn't have weighed more then 125 pounds…even Jamie was a good twenty pounds heavier then this kid!

Marduk decided to go for the gusto…and it would be something he would truly regret…with great flourish, Marduk ripped Grey's glasses off, and crushed them in his meaty hands. He began to laugh…while Grey only saw red…he was vaguely aware that their little stand off was attracting some attention.

The laughter echoed through Grey's mind and brought back negative images…people laughing at him at school for being different…the abusive father laughing at him as he…

Grey screamed angrily grabbed Marduk quickly and chucked him out the window…glass shattered everywhere as Marduk uttered a strange.

"WWUUURRRGGGHHH" Sound as he fell.

Marduk landed on the pavement, while startled passerby immediately jumped out of the way. Casually, Grey walked out the door and knelt down to face his vanquished foe.

"Are you trying to scare me? Please…you can't touch me…I don't scare or take pain easily…I've had piercings done that hurt more then you ever could!"

"You…you…"

"I…I…" Grey began…he knelt down and gingerly plucked Marduk's sunglasses from his pocket…they were red tinted…and made the young Avatar feel like a rock star…he put then on. "I've got your glasses…thanks!" He winked at Marduk.

Grey then kicked Marduk one last time before heading off down the street…after all, he was to meet Heihachi Mishima at the manor…and it was best not to keep him waiting…

(Three hours later)

Heihachi Mishima gently let his sake glass fall towards the lacquered table and it landed with a small tic…he sighed contentedly…the Geisha's in his personal tea room played a relaxing song on their shamisen. He could feel the tensions of the day slip away as he meditated.

_My plans are coming to fruitarian…the Nephilim…the avatar…and the girl…the reincarnation of the princess…are here…soon the Ritual of Triumvarence can begin…_

Although he wasn't exactly sure who Grey and Jamie were the avatars of…but Dr. Abel was working on it…it was a lucky coincidence the night of the ritual took place the day after the tournament…so it seemed logical that he should host a tournament now to lure the three into his trap.

True, he needed to run a few more tests on Grey…and possibly Jamie if he could…but with the ritual would come the resurrection…the resurrection of evil itself…and it would be completely under Heihachi's control.

He smiled to himself…after spending all that time back in the sixteenth century, even he was glad to be back with the comforts of modern living…while he never did get his hands on Soul Caliber or Soul Edge…he had gotten close enough to become considerably more powerful then he had ever been.

He supposed that he should, in some ways, thank his idiot son, and grand children…after all, with the help of that stupid Nephilim, they took out Heihachi's own father…a feat that Heihachi wasn't really in the mood to deal with.

He sighed contentedly and listened to the shamisen play…one of the other Geisha's in the room dutifully refilled his sake cup…and Heihachi breathed in the rich aromas from the room…all was quiet…all was peaceful…all was going according to plan…

Until he heard a loud stomping of big, steel toed, outrageously tacky boots.

He knew immediately who it was…his new adopted "son"…and temporary ward…Grey wasn't that hard to manipulate…pay Bryan Fury to torch an Orphanage and leave out a few technicalities…

And Heihachi now had one third of the Triumvirate eating out of his hand. He chuckled at the stupidity of youth today…then put on a straight face. Grey opened the scream door abruptly and accidentally slammed it shut…stupid boy…he had even more bounce to his swagger and a huge, prideful grin on his face.

"I heard that you had an exciting afternoon."

"Yup…I've seen rednecks before…but no one nearly as bad as this guy named…"

"Marduk? Craig Marduk." Heihachi answered simply.

"Yeah…how'd you-"

"Word came to me that you got in a fight with him…and broke a window on my property." Heihachi glared at Grey from across the table.

Immediately, Grey's cocky attitude seemed to diminish…and his big brown eyes (well, the one that wasn't covered with hair) looked down at the floor.

"Sorry…" He murmured.

He was so easy to manipulate…

"It's alright…just for next time…remember, to keep discreet…unless I say so…"

"Already two steps ahead of you…" Grey began. "Everyone goes out to party on the first night…I'll make an appearance and stir some shit up." He finished with a devious smile.

"Sounds good…but you need a base of operation…I won't have you staying at the hotel." Heihachi began.

"So…what's going to happen?"

Suddenly, the door opened again, and this time a tall, middle aged Japanese man stepped in…he was lanky, but had definite muscle tone…he was sort of built like Grey was…just Grey was not exactly as ripped. Grey remembered him…his name was Lee Chaolon…he had seen him on the televised Iron Fist Tournaments.

"Hello, I'm Lee…looks like we're going to be sharing my mansion." He said with a coy smile.

Grey stood up, smiled, and offered his hand. "Douglas Greyson at your service…"

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update…but y'know…wackiness ensued…and school and all…and y'know what? After writing this chappie I really miss writing about Jamie and the gang! Oh, and before I forget I'm taking a poll so please answer…WHO SHOULD JAMIE'S ROOMMATE BE! I thought about Steve…but that's been done…then I thought about Eddy…and then I realized that I'm still not quite sure what he's going to be doing…and then I thought about Kyo…so lemme know okay? Oh yeah, and weren't y'all surprised when Lee came back? I know I am…I'm still trying to figure out how he's back…but I kinda know now…well, please read and review! MUCH LOVE TO EVERYONE AND THANKS TO SHADOWSIN, THEE SLUSHEE, DEVILBILLY, KARISAN, and everyone else…oh yeah, AND COIN JAGER! AND KRAPP KARMIN!


	7. Chapter 7: Preparations

Chapter Seven: Preparations

Author's Note: Okay…I got half way done writing this chapter before I decided that it was absolutely terrible so I scrapped it and decided to start over…don't worry Shadowsin…you're request will be fulfilled…just in a sort of different way…alrighty…this chapter takes place during Tournament Orientation…all sorts of wackiness will ensue in this chapter so hold on to your hats folks! Oh, and by the way, the tournament will start soon…in about two chapters! Sorry if I'm delaying it a little...please forgive me!

Sleep…something that seemed unattainable by any teen…especially to Jamie Parker…if he had an addiction to anything it was slumber, and right now he was getting his fix.

The early morning sun filtered through the window intrusively, and Jamie groaned as he burrowed deeper under the covers.

_It can't be morning…crap…it's not fair…_

"…Jamie…Jamie…JAMIE!"

"NNFFGGHHHHPTYH" Jamie gurgled.

"I can speak three different languages fluently and I still have no idea what you said."

It was Mina's voice…and then it all came rushing back to him…quick nightly patrol, then met up with everyone at a dance club…Kazuya was detained last night, so research was postponed until later on today…the group had partied last night and hadn't made it home until three or four in the morning…Jamie and Kaori switched rooms for the night to be with their respective partners.

Jamie remembered some stuff…and as he slowly regained consciousness he was remembering others…certain stuff that had happened between him and Mina…certain x-rated stuff.

"C'mon," She said gently, "time to get up!"

"Jus' a few more minutes…jus' a few more minutes…" He chanted sleepily.

"No can do…today's orientation remember? We've gotta get our headshots and interviews done…then we gotta meet the fans and stuff." Mina said practically.

Slowly, Jamie opened his eyes and sat up…getting out of bed was the hardest part for him…if he could just manage to get in the shower he'd be able to function…then if he could get some food he'd be ready to face the day.

He glanced over at his girlfriend and realized how beautiful she looked in the early morning light…her red tinged hair tousled from sleep, and her beautiful flawless skin looked radiant…even without make up. She had instinctively covered herself with the blankets.

"Look, Kaori's gonna be back any minute…and the others are probably up too…you need to make yourself scarce fast!" Mina advised.

"Why?" Jamie asked rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"I don't think poor Kaori deserves a walk of shame…and with her cousin Xiao in the Tournament…and how protective she is of her…and the fact that all of Kyo's family is around…I think it's best."

"You're right…as always…" Jamie nodded.

And with that he quickly got up and wrapped the blankets around his frame…he grabbed his heap of clothes, kissed Mina goodbye and went off to his room.

_New Scene…_

_If I can just make it down to the other end of the hall and around the corner I'll be fine…only the newbies are down me and Kyo's hall anyway…_

Jamie Parker carefully crept down the carpeted hall…his sensitive; Nephilim ears were attuned to the sounds of the closed doors flanking the halls…showers being turned on, toilets flushing…various coughs and sniffles…

_Ah the sounds of early morning…makes chirping birds sound like a pile of crap…_

Jamie thought sarcastically.

As he turned the corner he heard other footsteps pad down the hall…before he could react the person turned the corner…Kaori Mitsaki and Jamie Parker stared at each other like deer caught in the headlights. Kaori, like Jamie, was clad in bedsheets and held her clothes from last night under her arms.

"Oh…hey…Kaori…" Jamie said blushing.

"He…hey…Jamie…" Kaori said nervously.

"Um…"

"Yeah…"

"I'm going to go…this way…now…riiiigggghhhhhtttt…." Jamie mumbled.

"Yeah…sounds good…I'm going…down the hall…see you lat-"

Before they could finish the door opened, and Hwoarang stared wide eyed at the two.

"Oh…my…" His face broke into a grin as he saw the two "walk of shame-ers".

Quickly, Jamie fumbled in his jeans pocket and fished out a wrinkled twenty.

"Here…I'm giving you this if you shut up and don't tell anyone you saw us…and I'll also 'forget' to tell the hotel staff who exactly stumbled drunk into that priceless Ming Vase in the main hall."

Hwoarang snatched the money. "You've got yourself a deal Sir Nephilim!" He said. "You and Mina? And you and Kyo! MY EYES MY EYES!" Hwoarang joked as he glanced from Jamie to Kaori.

"Hwoarang…please…keep it quiet okay?" Kaori pleaded.

"Arright aright…see you guys later…" Hwoarang said with his arms raised.

He chuckled and muttered to himself as he closed the door…Jamie didn't hear all of it, but he did hear Hwoarang comment "…kids today…"

_New Scene…_

"So you guys must've had a wild time last night…" Kyo said to Jamie as the two stood near the buffet table guarding the donuts with a vengeance.

"Not nearly as wild as you did! I saw Kaori in the hall." Jamie responded.

"Yeah," Kyo turned as red as his hair. "You think Hwoarang's going to keep quiet?"

"About what?" A voice interrupted.

Jamie turned to see Jin and Xiao standing behind them.

"About…" Kyo began, searching for an answer.

"Spam!" Jamie offered weakly.

"You want Hwoarang to keep quiet about…spam?" Xiaoyu asked uncertainly.

"Yeah…well...y'know…I just love it so…much…" Jamie trailed off.

Xiao smiled. "Alright, what'd you two kids do last night?"

"Kids? Hey, you guys are only like…five years older then I am!" Jamie argued lightly.

"So, when we were seniors in high school you were in 8th grade." Jin countered.

"Anyway, whatever you two have been doing with Mina and Kaori is none of our business," Xiao began. "As long as you all play it safe and use protection then I'm fine with it."

"I wouldn't go telling dad though…he'll give you this long embarrassing talk that has way too much information in it about him and mom." Jin advised Kyo.

"Wasn't gonna." Kyo said to Jin.

"Besides, it's completely obvious what they all did! Did you see in the club?" Christie asked.

"And I thought Hwoarang and I were bad!" Julia commented with a laugh.

"So, now everyone knows…where's my twenty?" Jamie asked Hwoarang.

"Um…what twenty?" Hwoarang asked. "And besides…not everyone knows…Asuka and Billy are still pretty much clueless…until they're done getting their pictures and interviews done that is!" Hwoarang finished with a grin.

"Our lil' Jamie is all growed up…do we have to have a talk?" Steve asked.

"The day I take sex advice from Steve Fox is the day that the world will officially be sucked into hell!" Jamie replied, causing everyone to laugh.

"Well, now that that's out in the open…if you're allergic to latex then how do you and Mina-"

"I'm on the pill," Mina interrupted as she walked up. "And Jamie uses non-latex."

"They make that?" Hwoarang asked.

"Of course they do!" Julia said

"Anyway, I'm all done, and you're up!" Mina said gesturing to the other side of the ballroom…which was filled with dozens of photo stations and information booths.

"Alright…see you guys later!" Jamie called.

_New Scene…_

Kyosuke Kazama watched the various contestants get their pictures taken...headshots for the roster mostly, but others were used for other means of merchandising…this tournament got most of its income via merchandise…and they made Iron Fist everything! Lunchboxes, posters, video games, trading cards…DVD box sets…action figures…and soundtracks…every contestant was asked to list about fifteen songs that best described them, and every Iron Fist Tournament…for however many fighters were in the tournament, that number of soundtracks came out!

Every fighter was also contractually obligated to lend their voice, face, and name to this marketing ploy…even to lend their voices to the video game! Kyo laughed when he remembered Jamie complaining how many takes it took to get his "death yell" perfected for the game.

As he watched the pictures being taken he saw Grey in the middle of his photo shoot…and who couldn't notice him? His black t-shirt with garish, blood red lettering read: Fuck the KKK! He wore a pair of skin tight black jeans, and a pair of scuffed and marked up converse high tops.

The photographer was complaining because Grey kept using obscene hand gestures for each photo being taken…finally; it seemed as if Grey was bored, so he took a decent one just so he could leave.

Kyo felt a rush of anger boil inside him as Grey walked towards him…Kyo did have somewhat of a temper that was a little hard to control since he was the polar opposite of his Nephilim friend…but he did do his best to keep it in check.

Still, this was the person who hit his girlfriend…and badly wounded one of his best friends…maybe a Nephilim wasn't the best thing to fight him…maybe one had to fight fire with fire?

"Hey, couldn't help but notice you staring," Grey said as he approached Kyo. "S'matter? Not satisfied with little miss innocent? I could definitely teach you a thing or two."

"I don't like you…"

"I seem to be hearing that a lot lately…oh well…" Grey shrugged. "And hey, if you ever feel like you need a little something extra, let me know okay?" Grey winked and began to walk off…but Kyo grabbed him.

"You hit my girl…you hit my friend's girl…and you nearly killed my best friend…I am going to put you in so much pain that you're gonna wish you were never born." Kyo snarled.

"Really? That ain't happenin'!" Grey quickly headbutted Kyo in the face and started to walk off. "You sure talk big…but when it comes right down to it, you don't have the guts to stop me…why don't we continue this one later…without you're super friends around and we'll see who's better?" Grey asked.

"Fine!" Kyo snarled…as his friends ran up to see what was the matter.

He'd go later tonight…but he couldn't tell anyone…if he told them they'd all say that it wasn't wise and wouldn't let him go…but that wasn't going to happen…Kyosuke Kazama was going to end this Grey thing once and for all…even if he had to lie to his loved ones to do it.

Author's Note: Okay, sorry it took so long to write a new chappie but I had originally gotten halfway done with it, then decided it was utter crap so I had to rewrite it all! And…looking back on it, this chapter sucked too…so I'm truly sorry, and please don't flame me! MUCH LOVE TO EVERYONE AND PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	8. Chapter 8: Where Were You?

Chapter Eight: Where Were You?

Author's Note: Okay…I really appreciate that people are being nice and telling me that my story is not sucking, cuz it really means a lot to me…I'm really not just saying it for attention LOL…anyway, here's a new chapter, thanks to everyone…and I hope we can reply to reviews soon cuz I really miss doing it! Oh, and by the way…I really don't know why Yoshimitsu looks the way he does…so I'm just going to give my own personal spin on it!

"I'm so tired…" Jamie Parker murmured as he flopped onto his bed.

It had been an exhausting day for him and the others…it was funny, but Jamie hated getting his picture taken…he wasn't exactly sure why…maybe it was left over insecurities from his awkward stages, but he absolutely detested it. He already knew how ironic it was that one of his hobbies was taking pictures and he hated getting photographed.

He lay on his bed, stretched and yawned…he had changed into a pair of more comfortable clothes since Orientation…for that, he wore a pair of somewhat baggy jeans, and a white t-shirt that said: Rex Kwon Do: Bow to your Sensei…BOW TO YOUR SENSEI! (Napolean Dynamite was one of Jamie's favorite movies). Mina picked his outfit out for him…she wanted him to look sexy…but not too sexy…

He still wore that shirt, he liked it, and it clung to his frame nicely enough without being too tight…only he changed into a pair of blue, baggy basketball shorts. With his hair tied back in a bun, he had planned to take a quick nap and go on patrol.

Orientation had ended about an hour and a half ago…and everyone was too tired to party. It seemed that tonight's plans would be to rest up for the tournament…which was tomorrow…Jamie put his headphones on and turned on his Mp3 player…as he listened to his patented "Sleep Mix" he began to reflect on the tournament…

Strangely, he didn't feel very nervous…yet…he wasn't bragging when he knew he could take out the newbies easily…of course, there were other threats…and even though they weren't the Nephilim many of these fighter's had been training all their lives…and most had grudges that needed to be fulfilled, which gave them an edge that even a Nephilim found would be difficult to beat!

The roster this year was pretty impressive…that strange demon killing ninja Yoshimitsu was back…and this year he looked like some kind of crazy…insect…thing with a human skull…Jamie had to admit that was a little unnerving…Yoshimitsu was half demon, but a good demon, so Jamie didn't see any reason why he had to kill him.

Demons were like people…many races could choose to be good if they wanted too, and Yoshimitsu was a lot more of a decent person then most human beings that Jamie could think of.

There was another ninja in the tournament…her name was Kunimitsu, but she looked human enough…she had a fox mask to conceal her features…Bruce Irving was in the tournament too…Jamie had never met him…and he didn't really care either…he seemed incredibly…focused…almost extremely so…and the Nephilim had to admit that he did seem rather intimidating.

Of course, there was Craig Marduk…Jamie's 'friend' from last year…and more recently, earlier in the summer when he attempted to kill him while the Nephilim was on a mad hunt for Chakra Orbs…there were so many returning vets and new ones that it was hard for Jamie to keep track.

The Nephilim thought about the tournament for a little while longer before drifting off to sleep…the sun dipped low behind the clouds as it set, and the last thing Jamie noticed before going to sleep that Kyo's bed was perfectly made…he must not have come back to the room.

_Oh well…just probably went out with Kaori is all…_

Unfortunately, it wasn't that that simple…and before this night was over he'd be regretting not paying more attention to his friend…

_New Scene…_

Kyosuke Kazama walked the twisting back alleys and streets of downtown Tokyo…a place that he definantely wouldn't have brought Kaori…King of Iron Fist fighter or not…this was no place to bring a loved one. He didn't know where to find Grey…in fact; he didn't know much if anything about Grey at all…then again, neither did anyone else…all Kyo really knew about him was that he was working for his grandfather…which seemed to be a big indicator on who his allegiances lay…and he had beaten up his friend and his friend's girl…and more importantly…his…

Kaori…

But this wasn't the only reason for this confrontation…Kyo had also hoped that maybe he could end this whole Grey thing once and for all…Jamie may not be allowed to kill people, but that wouldn't stop Kyo…and while he wasn't exactly looking forward to it, if it came down to it…then Grey's life could and would end tonight.

He felt bad for not telling anyone about this but if he did then there would be a big argument…and Kyo wasn't in the mood to hear it…besides, on a lighter note, he didn't want to upset them…or cause them to worry…especially Kaori.

Kyo may not have had Jamie's jacked up senses, but for some reason, he could tell that he was getting close to where Grey was…call it intuition or whatever…but as he walked through the narrow, twisting alleys he knew he was getting close.

He leapt a fence with relative ease and found himself at a dead end…two buildings and a third boxed him in…a dumpster stood in the front…

But no Grey…

"Where…" Kyo began, looking around.

"Riiiggghhhtttt heeeereee!" A voice called cheerily as it fell from the sky.

Out of the sky dropped Grey…he had changed much since Grey had seen him last…only tonight he wore a long, black shiny, leather trench coat…it sounded like bat wings as he hit the ground. He landed on his feet, and calmly stood up.

"I'm surprised you showed up…you just moved up a notch on my list…consider yourself at zero." Grey said.

"You use negative numbers? How much of an idiot are you?" Kyo asked.

A nice comeback, Grey decided to ignore it.

"Y'know," He cocked his head to the side and glanced around. "This whole area's kinda famous…that building," He brushed his bangs away and pointed to the building in front of them. "That is where your father threw your friend off the roof during the last tournament."

"That wasn't my father…it was the Devil inside of him."

"And inside of you to right?"

"Don't associate me with that…Jin, Billy and I control it now."

"Of course you do," Grey chuckled and paced. "And I thought my life was messed up."

"Yeah well at least I know who my parents are!" Kyo shot back.

The comment was incredibly untactful and actually a little mean, but Kyo was sick of this game.

"Shut…the…fuck…up…" Grey said angrily. "When I'm through with you…you'll have an interesting life as fertilizer…right next to your whore bitch mother!"

And then the two rushed eachother…

_New Scene…_

At around the time the fight between Grey and Kyo began, Jamie awoke to the sound of knocking at his room door. He opened his eyes blearily and stared in astonishment at how dark his room had gotten.

He quickly checked his cellphone's clock and found that it was now 10:30 at night…how long had he been sleeping?

"Jamie…Jamie are you in there? Open up!"

It was Asuka…

Pale moonlight washed over the room as Jamie walked to the door…in the dark he tripped over one of his bags...he cursed under his breath and opened it. Asuka stood at the threshold wearing a white tank top and a pair of jogging pants…her hair clung in damp strands…and her face was mirrored with sweat.

"Hey Asuka…what's up?"

"Sorry to wake you…but…have you seen Kyo?"

Jamie quickly checked his roommate's bed…which was still empty.

"Nah…haven't seen 'em…did you check with Kaori…or Jin or Billy? Hell, even Mina…he promised to help her reprogram her cellphone."

"I asked him to help me work on my Kazama technique…and he didn't show!"

"That's not like him." Jamie agreed…brow knitting in confusion.

"The others went to go visit dad at the Zaibatsu to go over some tournament stuff…Jin said that we were to stay put…I don't know, I guess it's 'grown up stuff' or something." She added with a nervous giggle.

"Yeah, then why did Billy go?" Jamie said flippantly. "What about Kaori, does she know where he is?"

"No, and I asked her first…now she's getting upset…Mina's trying to make her feel better…"

"I'll go look for him." Jamie said with resolve.

He flicked on his lights, and winced slightly at the sudden rush of illumination as he reached underneath his bed. He grabbed his hunting knife, and tossed Asuka a dagger.

"Wanna come with?"

"I guess I am now." She breathed reluctantly. "Do you really think it's that bad…do you think…maybe he's in trouble?"

"I don't know…I mean…he was a little quiet after his little run in with Grey and…" Suddenly, all the pieces of the puzzle fit in the Nephilim's mind the mood swings and…

"What?" Asuka asked impatiently…then she gasped. "You don't think."

"Kyo's in trouble…we have to go now!" Jamie said in an eerily calm voice as he jogged across the room and out the door…Asuka following hot on his heels.

"Well he's not-"

"He's not dead…but he's most likely gotten himself beaten pretty bad…we don't have a lot of time we have to hurry!" Jamie said as the two walked down the hall.

"Jamie!" Mina called…she held two sodas in her hands. "Where are you going?"

"Kyo's in trouble…I need you to stay here and please…keep this quiet."

"Alright…be safe okay?" Mina asked.

"I will…" He embraced her and kissed her softly before heading out into the night with Asuka.

Mina watched them until they both were swallowed by the shadows…

_New Scene…_

"AAAGGGHHH!" Kyo moaned as Grey punched him hard in the face.

He staggered backwards and rammed into the fence. Grey moved to punch him again, but Kyo blocked the attack and flipped Grey onto the concrete…Kyo tried to follow with an axe kick to Grey's face but the Avatar blocked it, grabbed Kyo's heel and flipped him onto the ground. Quickly, with a kick up, Grey was on his feet again, and dropped into a fighter's stance.

"That all you got? Heihachi told me to watch out for that Kazama style…so where is it?"

Kyo got up and lunged at Grey, the two engaged in fierce hand to hand…blocking, punching and kicking…and while Kyo did land a few hits on Grey they didn't seem to faze him…quickly, Grey launched a jumping front snap kick that sent Kyo reeling…he landed against the dumpster…he could feel himself fading.

"Y'know I always wanted a puppy growing up but I never got one…I always thought I'd be good with dogs though…think I could teach you to stay?" A punch came, Kyo blocked it, and desperately launched a side kick at Grey…and while it was enough to buy Kyo some time…it wasn't enough…

The last thing that he saw was Grey's steel toed boot rushing towards his face…he had fought Grey…had landed some pretty good hits…but in the end it wasn't enough…

_New Scene…_

Jamie and Asuka ran through the alleyways…Asuka couldn't keep up with Jamie's momentum crossing the rooftops but she did her best to keep up with him on foot…Jamie did hold back so he didn't lose her, but they were still making some good time.

And finally, they made it to their destination…the same alley that The Nephilim had plummeted down in the last tournament…had it really been only six months ago? Coming back had brought a rush of nostalgia back…and Jamie felt a dull pain in his back as he remembered his near death experience.

He and Asuka climbed the fence and Jamie found a body…slumped against the dumpster…

"……….oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh………" A voice moaned.

"Kyo…oh Kyo…" Asuka began, tears forming in her eyes.

Jamie rushed towards his fallen friend…he was a mess of black and blue bruises everywhere…he remembered Kyo telling him that the Devil within him helped him heal a bit faster then most…but still…

"…Kyo…Kyo I'm so sorry…" Jamie muttered.

He brushed a strand of blonde hair from his face as tears started to form in his eyes…he should have paid more attention…he should have confronted his friend sooner…it boggled his mind that while Kyo was getting his ass kicked, Jamie was safe and comfortable, snoozing in his own bed.

It shouldn't have been Kyo…it should've been him…

Now someone's brother, someone's son, someone's cousin, someone's lover, and someone's friend was injured…badly…and it was all Jamie's fault.

All because some stupid Nephilim had to have a selfish moment.

"Jamie…listen…this isn't your-"

"You're gonna have to help me carry him Asuka…" Jamie said in a scary, monotone voice.

"But…the fence…how are we gonna-"

With Nephilim speed, Jamie ran to the fence and jump kicked it with all his strength…it burst from it's hinges and landed across the street.

"That's one of our problems solved…" He said.

Jamie reached down, and hoisted Kyo up by grabbing him under his arm…Asuka did the same, and it looked like they were carrying a drunk…

"You're gonna be okay Kyo…you'll be fine…let's just get you home…" Jamie whispered reassuring words to him.

"Jamie…don't worry, Jin says that the Devil gene helps people heal faster…kinda like your Nephilim Gene…and he'll be fine for the Tournament tomorrow." Asuka tried to reassure.

_The Tournament…_

"Grey's gonna be at the Tournament…and I'm going to fight him…" Jamie began calmly.

Quickly, with his free hand, he punched the nearest brick wall…it made a small whole, and red dust floated through.

"And he is going to PAY for what he did…you can mess with me…you can call me names…you can try to kill me…but NOBODY messes with my friends and loved ones!" Jamie finished with resolve.

Author's Note: Rushed I know…but I've been a bit busy…I needed to write a 30 page story for my Creative Writing class so I've been working on it…and I'm up to 25 pages so I'm almost done! Shadowsin…I hope I did okay! Hit me back and lemme know alright? PEACE OUT EVERYONE PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	9. Chapter 9: What Cannot Die

Chapter Nine: What Cannot Die…

Author's Note: Okaaaaaayyy….another chappie with surprises, and some explanations…and some building anticipation for the fights! First some shout outs are in order I believe! Yeah, even if we aren't allowed anymore, AKMDS told me that they waved the rule or something…but even if they didn't oh well.

Shadowsin: Wow, well what can I say…first I want to apologize for not responding to any reviews…but there was this crazy rule or something…and well…anyway, I will have the healing process with Kyo happen…but not until later on in this chappie…like towards the end so hope you'll forgive me if Kyo sits this round out…cuz he needs some serious healing time…and if I don't start the tournament soon I think the ppl on this site are gonna write me up for some kind of abuse LOL but don't worry…next round will be driven on Kyo's fights and stuff! Oh, and I was wondering…could Mina kick some ass sometime? I think that'd be awesome! It's okay if that's not in the picture though…cuz Mina's gonna womp plenty of ass in my story too! And Kaori's gonna bring it too!

Thee Slushee: Yes…I've been kicked in the face before too and it hurts reeeaaaaallll bad…anyway, I love your story and thanks for dedicating a chappie to me cuz I really appreciated it! It was funny that you even remembered that part in my story cuz to be honest I kinda forgot…I had to look it up again LOL!

AKMDS: I feel so bad for not responding to reviews and stuff I'm so sorry but I didn't know the rule was wavered or something…anyway, thank you so much for your concern about the hurricane…no Tennessee wasn't hit…and my friends and family are safe and stuff so thanks a lot for asking cuz it really meant a lot to me! Asuka will be paired with someone but just be patient and wait for a bit cuz I'm not quite sure how I'm gonna incorporate it yet…on the plus side I know how I'm gonna end this story so that's kinda cool LOL.

Karisan: Well, the Grey vs. Jamie isn't going to happen right away…gotta build up suspense with this whole Ritual of Triumvirate and avatar thing first…but Grey's first fight will happen, so stay tuned! And I'm glad you like him…it means a lot coming from you!

Junking: Hey! Yeah, I guess Grey can be considered a real jerk…that's kinda how I wanted to portray him and stuff at least for now…I like your story it's real good! Peter seems like a real cool character…especially because I myself am not very religious...I like the fact that he gets his point across without seeming too preachy about it. Oh, and I read shadowsin's reviews requesting a Mina fight…well, if you want to see Mina take it to da ring then look no further!

Draconia 89: Hi! Thanks for sticking by this story, the whole avatar thing will be revealed over the course of the story…I don't want people to know like RIGHT now…but don't worry, it'll happen soon…and also, by the time you eventually find out, you'll probably know anyway!

DevilBilly: Hey…thanks for your kind words they really mean a lot to me! I'm not asking for sympathy by saying my chappie's suck…it's just that sometimes I get worried that they're not good enough…but I think this one will turn out pretty good! And as for the c2 thing…I…think I know how to do it…so let me try it…expect an email from me shortly!

Okay…took up a whole page…on with the story!

Snip…snip…snip…

Went the scissors as Jamie Parker sat at his table at the Mishima dining hall…around him were his friends, Mina sat to his immediate left, while Hwoarang sat on his right. Julia, Xiao, Jin, Steve, Christie, Asuka, Billy, and Kazuya sat around him…listening to Heihachi Mishima's long, boring speech.

Jamie started to listen to the speech but realized that it was only one describing the tournament rules and regulations…and some things about honor and discipline and…

_Yada…yada…yada…_

Snip…snip…snip…

Went the scissors again.

Displayed in front of him was his latest Nephilim Journal…in which to document the goings on of the latest tournament, and his thoughts and feelings on the matter. As a Nephilim, one of his responsibilities was to keep a record of everything he did, and Jamie was surprisingly diligent about it.

Before becoming a Nephilim, Jamie had a natural knack for writing and photography which apparently he received on his mother's side…because Justin could barely write a thank you letter.

Most of the old journals of past Nephilim were written in beautiful leather bound books with heavy, expensive paper…Jamie's was a blue spiral notebook with 100 pages that he got for 99 cents at the gas station before he left.

However, Jamie wasn't satisfied with the plain blue cover, and wanted to personalize it a little more…so, with an old issue of People Magazine, Jamie began cutting out interesting slogans, and pictures of A-list celebrities with confused looks on their faces to paste on the cover.

Snip…snip…snip…

And now, a picture of Lindsay Lohen rubbing the back of her head was now placed on the journal…she had apparently lost her hair extensions.

"Which brings me to my next point and-"

Snip…snip…snip…

"MR. PARKER DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM!" Heihachi bellowed.

"Hm?" Jamie looked up innocently as all eyes were glued on the Nephilim. "What? Oh no…just a little bored that's all…but keep it up, you're doing great!" Jamie added with a thumbs-up before returning to his work.

The room burst into laughter at the comment, Jamie was surprised to see Grey, who was slouched in a chair to Heihachi's left stifle a snicker…still, that didn't change anything…Grey was going to get his soon…

Kyo…

It shouldn't have happened that way…none of it should have went down the way it did…it should've been Jamie…not Kyo…not his friend.

After explaining what had happened to the others…they had said that it wasn't his fault…that Jamie couldn't have known…blah blah blah…

But he had seen Kyo's battered and bruised face…and he had seen the looks of shock, dismay, and horror on everyone's faces before they had tried to help comfort Jamie too…

And he had seen Kaori's face…she had stayed in Jamie's room last night…it was the least that he could've done…and while everyone was acting fine around Jamie…Kaori was different…she was in love…and that takes the place of all rationality.

Things had become somewhat strained between Jamie and Kaori…and while the two weren't necessarily best friends, they had gotten along great before…and now she acted as if she had only met him the other day.

The Nephilim supposed that he couldn't blame her for it…after all, it was his fault. Mina tried to comfort him by telling him that she'd be fine…to just give her a day or so and she'd come around…

As stupid as it sounded, Jamie didn't want his friends to be mad at him.

Fortunately, both Kyo and Kaori weren't scheduled to fight today so it gave Kyo more then enough time to heal…and Kaori more then enough time to be with him.

"And…the moment you've all been waiting for…the Tournament Roster!" Heihachi uttered.

Jamie stopped his art project and looked up as the room went dark and a screen came down. Suddenly, the headshots from the day before were placed in pairs with a little "vs" symbol in between them…the fighters knew if they were fighting in advance, but they didn't know who they'd be combating with.

Jamie looked for his picture…and to his dismay, found that the one picture they used for his "fighting headshot" was probably the worst picture out of all the ones that were taken of him. He didn't look ugly by any means…it was just that he was smiling…and not the whole Steve or Paul confident "I'm gonna whoop your ass" smirk…but this smile looked like one from a highschool year book.

Most of the fighter's were turned at an angle…not Jamie…he was staring at the camera straight on…and he looked about as threatening as a door mat. Thankfully, no one laughed…right away…but Hwoarang, Steve, and Billy made sure that Jamie received some good natured jibes from his seat.

"Great picture Jamie…what's this one for? Most likely to succeed, or maybe for president of the AV club? I can't tell?" Hwoarang said between snorts.

"Oh yeah mate…real scary…those demon's'll be shakin' in their boots!" Steve added.

"AAww…Jamie's just upset cuz this picture didn't get him voted Most Popular!" Billy replied.

"Shut up…" Jamie said through gritted teeth. "Somehow I know Heihachi did this…all the more reason for me to kill him." He finished.

His heart sank even lower to the ground when he found out who he'd be facing…Bruce Irving…the big, scary, Australian man who, for some reason was pissed off at everyone and everything…sort of like Marduk in that sense, but Marduk was an idiot…Jamie had a feeling that Bruce was somewhat different…brains and brawn.

Jamie looked over tentatively and saw Bruce grin wolfishly at him.

"I'm screwed…" Jamie muttered.

"Um…Jamie…" Mina began. "Why am I fighting someone who's supposed to be dead?"

Jamie looked up and saw Mina's picture…she flashed her million dollar smile and was winking at the camera…it was cute...and it reminded him how much he loved her sense of humor…and how they connected so well because they both managed to find humor in the same, serious situations…but when he looked over at her opponent, he was shocked, and a little amazed to see…Anna Williams…

"But she…" Jamie began.

"Wait…I was there…didn't Nina…" Xiao began.

Jamie turned in time to see Anna and…Lee…sit together in a corner…they must have come in while the lights were dimmed.

"Kazuya…Jin?" Jamie asked weakly.

"I'll look into it…I'm as puzzled as you are."

The meeting ended abruptly, and the fighter's were given an hour to get ready to depart to their various fighting locations…as they left, Jamie noticed Lee and Anna…in her traditional, red, Oriental dress and heels, walk to the platform Heihachi stood on and chat with the aging Mishima and Grey.

Jamie watched the four talk…and while he watched he noticed that Grey was watching him…Jamie stared back…and Grey winked and blew an air kiss…Jamie shook his head…that asshole was going down!

_New Scene…_

Mina was in her room getting dressed for her match today…she stared at herself critically in the mirror checking her make up…she wanted to look pretty today…well, like every girl did, but she used it sparingly. Christie had explained to Mina that image was just as important as fighting ability…and besides, she was nervous about her first fight…and when she was nervous, she tended to try to busy herself by doing annoyingly girly things.

"Okay…" Mina began as she put the finishing touches on her eyeliner. "Now I look somewhat pretty…or at least not like I just rolled out of bed."

Her father had asked that she and Jamie wear their official Kim Sueng Karate uniforms at least once for their fights…and they were happy to oblige. First, it was about honor and showing where the two young Tae Kwon Do master's loyalties lie…and second, because it was great for advertising.

_Besides…this is my first, and probably going to be my last fight in the tournament…no…no…stop that negative thinking Mina…you'll be fine._

She wore a black spaghetti strap top, and had just pulled on her white gi pants when there was a knock on the door. Mina walked over and opened it…and found herself staring straight in the icy blue eyes of Nina Williams. The Irish assassin looked very pretty today in a pair of flared jeans and a form fitting top.

Her blonde hair was loose and fell down her back…while Nina had helped Jamie in the last tournament…Mina was still a bit on edge around her…after all, Nina was a highly trained…highly paid assassin, and she normally kept to herself…when she approached anyone, one had to wonder if she was there to kill them.

"Oh…hi Miss Nina." Mina said as coolly as she could.

"You're the Korean girl who will be fighting my sister today right?"

"Yeah…I mean yes…at the…"

"At the park." Nina finished.

"Yeah…wait…how did she…I mean, Jamie said you killed her?" Mina questioned.

"Your Nephilim boyfriend misunderstood…I told him that it wasn't her…and he took it the wrong way."

"So…she wasn't a vampire?"

"No…it was a vampire trying to act like Anna…but it wasn't her." Nina responded in a monotone voice that was somewhat hard to read.

"But Jamie-"

"Listen, my respect is a privilege not a right. Your boyfriend has earned it, so I don't blame him for not seeing the difference…he had never met her before…Anna and Lee didn't want to work for the Devil inside of Kazuya so they hired two vampire mercenaries to act like them and take their place. I entered the last tournament to kill them both." Nina smiled ruefully. "Undead mercenaries are bad for us mortal ones who are trying to make a living."

"I…guess…" Mina began.

"Anyway, I came to offer you some advice when fighting my sister…whatever you do…make her angry…insult her, humiliate her, do whatever it takes."

"But that'll make her more-"

"Actually, quite the opposite, she never could control her temper, and the more upset she gets, the more she lets her guard down…use it!" Nina said.

She smiled at Mina. "You'll do fine…you've got a lot of potential in these tournaments…I never thought Xiaoyu would get past round one the first time I met her…and look at her now!"

"Thanks Nina!" Mina said gratefully.

"And you can relax," Nina began as she turned and walked away. "If I was hired to kill you, I would've done it already!"

Mina laughed nervously, and shut the door…she realized that she had been holding her breath for awhile and quickly let it go…

_What've I gotten myself into…_

The pretty Korean thought to herself as she pulled her gi top on, and wrapped her black belt around her.

_New Scene…_

As a courtesy to his roommate, Jamie changed his clothes in the bathroom…while they were both guys; Jamie didn't want the first thing for Kyo to see to be his roommate changing…and besides, Jamie was somewhat modest about that kind of stuff anyway.

Protection gear was not allowed during the tournament…except for cups for the guys…which Jamie took full advantage of. He had decided to wear his Instructor Uniform…as it was the nicest that he owned. White with a black trim, it had several sew-on patches on it saying that he was a member of the demo team, another that he was an instructor, and another that said he was an official member of the black belt club.

He tied his hair back in a ponytail, and opened the door to the main hall of the room…Jamie was in the process of putting his black belt on when he heard a low moaning come from the bed.

"Oooooohhhhhh…my…head…"

"Hey…you're finally up." Jamie said brightly as he walked over to his friend's bed.

Kyo tried to sit up, but immediately sat back down.

"Hey…take it easy okay?" The Nephilim said gently.

"J…Jamie…how long have I been out…"

"All night…and most of this morning. You-"

"Oh crap! The tournament!" Kyo's eyes widened and he tried to sit up again.

"Relax…you don't fight today…me and Mina aren't so lucky though." Jamie chuckled.

"The last thing I remember is Grey's boot rushing to my face."

"Ouch…" Jamie began as he sat on the foot of Kyo's bed. "What were you doing going after him anyway? And not telling any of us for that matter…Kyo, I can't save your ass if you don't fill me in!" Jamie joked nervously…another old habit of his…cracking jokes in inopportune situations.

"I…I didn't want to say anything…I figured if I did, there'd be a big debate and all sorts of stupid drama…and I thought I could take him on by myself…I mean, Grey's evil…so y'know…fight fire with fire?"

"Hey…you're not evil…you're like…the balance…just like I'm the balance of good…but that doesn't mean I'm a saint…unless it's the Saint of Keepin' it Real because-"

Suddenly, the door opened and Kaori stepped inside, her head was down and she began speaking rapidly.

"Jamie…listen, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted towards you last night…I know it's not your fault with what happened to Kyo…it's nobody's really, except for Grey's…and I had no right to lash out at you like I did and I'm really sorry, and I guess I'm just being a bitch and-"

"Kaori…" Kyo said dryly.

"K…Kyo…KYO!" She cried.

Jamie quickly stood and walked towards the door and let the two have their moment. Once they were done Kaori turned again.

"…if you don't want to forgive me I can understand…"

"Kaori…you weren't mean to me…don't worry about it…I could never get mad at you! You're like, the nicest person in the world…and if that's what you're like when you get mad at someone then you should seriously teach anger management to my friend Maureen…or possibly Asuka because she needs it too!" Jamie lowered his eyes. "And anyway…you were right…it is my fault…I should've been more aware."

"Jamie, you couldn't have known anything…I made the mistake of not telling you so just chill!" Kyo argued.

Jamie smiled. "Careful…you start hanging out with me you're gonna start talking like me."

"Did we miss much at breakfast? Who's fighting who?"

"Jamie ran the list through his head of everyone who was fighting…before finally getting to himself, Mina and Grey."

"You're dad's going ape shit since we all found out that Anna and Lee are still alive…Mina's going to fight Anna today and I'm fighting Bruce."

"Wait! How are they all still alive!" Kyo asked shocked.

"Not sure yet..." Jamie shrugged. "But I'm not shaking in my Vans yet…Anna wasn't that scary even when she was a vampire…and as for Lee…"

"Hey, be careful, he nearly killed you." Kyo warned.

"Only because he tricked me into losing my powers…don't worry, I'll make sure that I won't be paying him any house calls again!"

The three chatted for a little while longer until Jamie realized that it was time for the fights to begin…he said good bye to the two but before he did Kyo called him.

"Jamie?"

"Yeah?"

"Kick his ass!"

With that, Jamie Parker grinned, and headed outside.

Author's Note: I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope I stayed true to my characters…even though there is more humor then the last time, this is straight-up not considered a humor fic…and I'm sorry if my humor is a little weird or off…like the whole collaging thing…but I wanted Jamie to look all tough, calm, cool, and bad ass in his own unique way…and what better way then to have him annoy the crap out of Heihachi? Next chapter will have serious action so hold onto your hats…and don't worry, as I've said before I'm gonna get back to the gut wrenching misery and horror stuff soon…it's just that Crimson Destiny was so dark and serious and it's kind of refreshing to be adding a little bit of humor! Hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter, and look for a new one soon! LOVE TO ALL PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10: Our Opportunity

Chapter Ten: Our Opportunity

Author's Note: Um…alright…I wanted to title this chappie It Begins…but I didn't want to steal it from JunKing…anyway, here it comes…THE TOURNAMENT! And it's going to be big! Jamie, Mina, and Grey will be fighting their first opponents today…do they have a shot? Let's read and find out! And if I confused people about the whole Anna and Lee thing just read on…and if you're still confused then read my author's note at the end of this chappie and I'll explain further! Oh…by the way, FYI since Mina is a dancer, most of her moves are named after certain types of dancing…special thanks goes out to my homeslice Gabby (who is a pro dancer) for helping me name some of Mina's moves! Oh…and she's not annoying is she? I kinda wanted to depict an average girl leading a not so average life…and while she is girly she's also really tough…as you'll find out! Oh, and this chappie has some racy language mainly from Anna and Grey's potty mouths!

Shadowsin: Hey! I just read your latest review and I can't wait to read your latest chappie! Mina and Kaori in the mall…sounds AWESOME! And I can't wait to read it…thanks for being so supportive and understanding if Kyo and Kaori sit this round out!

Karisan: To be honest, I'm not exactly sure if the rule was wavered or not…but I realized that I was one of the only ppl not responding and I felt kind of bad…great job with your story…and I'm blown away by your ability to make Ganryu's obsessive, Julia fixation kind of serious and not something to be laughed at (too much)…it takes a very secure man to trash Hwoarang like that though and think he has a chance against him! And your English is phenomenal…you must be really smart to be able to write a story of this length in a secondary language! Great job!

Thee Slushee: Hey, I'm glad you found it funny…I found it rather humorous too…it's sort of based on personal experiences during some of the tournaments I've been in…but I'm glad you find my humor funny…and not weird or strange…I can't wait to read more of your story…are you gonna keep doing Xiaoyu stories? Cuz you portray her really well.

AKMDS: Sorry I confused you…the whole Anna and Lee thing was a last ditch effort to try to explain it and I did a horrible job…at the end of this chappie there will be a more detailed explanation for you and I hope it clears everything up!

Devil Billy: Hi! Thanks for reviewing my latest chappie and I'm glad you liked it! You're already a member of my c2…I already checked, but if you want to make your own it's really not that hard, just log in and go to the c2 section and click on the part where it asks if you want to create a c2.

Okay…on with the story…

Jamie Parker was fighting Bruce somewhere called the "Urban Enclosure" he wasn't exactly sure where it was…or what it was for that matter; and neither did his friends. Apparently it was a new fighting arena for the tournament…and Jamie and Bruce were the first ones to try it out.

Limos always drove the fighters to and from their respected arenas…the backseat was rather large…and about the size of a small room…it reminded the Nephilim of the limo's that everyone took to prom…Jamie didn't go to his senior prom in a limo…he had hopped rooftops and sprinted to his school to stop a group of fire breathing Kraylok demons from torching everyone in attendance.

Apparently, the rental insurance for his tux covered everything except burns…and considering the fact that during his fight with these monsters he had been singed numerous times…well…long story short, he had to pay a rather hefty price.

He felt small in the backseat of the limo…just because he was lonely he had tried to chat with the driver…but the driver actually closed the privacy window on him! Just for that, Jamie refused to obey the Japanese Custom of sitting directly behind the driver.

And so, he sat waiting for his fight and watching the cars whiz by...and as he did he realized that they were moving farther away from the city and into the warehouse district…the distinct odor of fish attested to that.

Jamie rolled the window up and slouched into the seat…he popped his knuckles and wrists reflectively…and glanced at the other side of the limo…a car phone was placed there and he debated whether or not to call his friends and wish them luck today. After all, Jin and Xiao were fighting, as were Julia, Hwoarang, Steve and Eddy…Christie wasn't, so she decided that she'd go with Mina and make sure she got where she needed to go to okay.

Managing to get through the screaming paparazzi and fans was intimidating for any newbie…and while Jamie knew Mina would get to where she needed to be…he wasn't so sure she could get through the fans in time for her fight…and if you were late then you were disqualified…plain and simple…it was kind of funny how the only things that merited disqualification in the tournaments were tardiness and "accidental" death.

While everyone who participated in the Tournament received 20000 dollars for participating…you also had to sign hefty legal agreements and release forms saying that the Mishima Zaibatsu was not responsible for your…demise.

While no one had killed each other in the actual ring yet (the cameras weren't around for the deaths of Jun Kazama or Patrick the previous Nephilim who participated in the 3rd tournament) the worst penalty the killer received was immediate disqualification.

Jamie wasn't too worried for Mina, she was a great fighter, and Anna was known more for her bitchy attitude and slutty outfits rather then her fighting prowess in these tournaments…but still…

He was about to call her cellphone when the limo abruptly stopped. Jamie tentatively looked out the window and gasped in awe…before checking his schedule one last time.

"Urban Enclosure huh…guess they weren't kidding…"

_New Scene…_

"DAMMIT! C'MON!"

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

The sounds of countless peoples voices rang through the Nephilim's sensitive ears as he waited for Bruce Irvin in an arena that Jamie could only describe as being made of…trashed cars…and other odds and ends of stuff found in the junkyard. Last tournament, he had fought in Shinjuku, and his audience consisted of squealing fan girls…now the people in this audience looked like dead ringers for the Hell's Angels.

Still, Jamie wasn't one to judge…as he waited for Bruce he checked out the arena…and probably what bothered him the most was the fact that on opposite sides of the ring were two, white trucks dangling precariously by ropes…if those were to fall…

He'd also have to watch his step around the arena…if he fell he'd probably land on shards of broken glass and who knows what else.

_Lovely…at least Shinjuku was clean…_

Suddenly, a loud roar from the crowd brought Jamie back to reality…and standing in front of him was a rather tall…imposing...man.

"Ah, Jamie Parker…" His accent sounded like Robbie's…which meant that he was Australian...

His voice was low, husky and intimidating…meant to scare young guys like Jamie into wetting their pants…fortunately, Jamie had excellent bladder control.

His hair was sparse and tied back in dread locks akin to Eddy's…just not so many. He also wore a pair of black jeans and a white tank top.

"You're the boy who's helping out Kazuya right?"

Jamie had no idea what Bruce and Kazuya's past was like…so he answered honestly.

"Uh…yeah…I guess you can call it that…"

"Then consider me your worst enemy!" Bruce barked, dropping into a fighting stance.

"If you want to kill Kazuya you're going to have to do two things…take a number…and go through me!" Jamie said fiercely, dropping into his stance.

"With pleasure…" Bruce said smiling.

The announcer called the countdown…every second counted off a beat of Jamie's heart…and finally, he heard the word.

"FIGHT!"

Amazing how a one syllable word could carry so much meaning…but Jamie didn't have time to ponder the deeper meaning of things…as Bruce roared angrily and ran at him…Jamie knew he wasn't going to get away from this attack without taking a hit…but he did manage to shield his chest and face…and instead getting hit in the ribs…as he flew through the air and landed with a thud on the pavement…he actually heard his bones rattle.

"Is that all you got? GET UP!" Bruce shouted angrily.

Quickly, Jamie did a kick up and dropped into his fighter's stance.

"Nah…I've got this!" Jamie rushed at Bruce and unleashed one of his combo's…it was two running punches, an outside crescent kick…and once the foot landed, he turned, launched in the air, spun, and his heel cut through the air and onto Bruce's face.

"Oh…looks like Mr. Parker used one of his patented combos…he calls it the Spin Cycle." The announcer called.

Jamie called it that because the whole move looked like a wheel in motion…the only problem with it, was the fact that it was a bit difficult to land, and Jamie hadn't perfected it yet. With the attack, Jamie had used all his Nephilim strength, and he could see in Bruce's eyes that his victory was assured.

Bruce was falling to the ground…but as he did, he made a desperate grab at Jamie, and actually managed to grab ahold of Jamie's gi shirt…in an attempt to pull the Nephilim down with him. Jamie hopped back and Bruce let go…but a loud tearing sound echoed through the arena.

_Uh-oh…Master Kim's not gonna like this…_

Jamie stared down, and his gi shirt had been ripped down the middle! He was a little annoyed…because; after all this was his best gi and it had all his sew on patches on it!

The tournament announcer proclaimed Jamie the winner of round one and Bruce got back up.

"That's it…get ready boy…I'm your worst nightmare!" He said in a voice dripping with disdain.

"My nightmare huh, guess what? You're not…there are scarier things out there," Jamie's blue eyes flashed angrily. "And I'm one of them!"

Round two began with the two combatants lunging at each other…Jamie blocked most of Bruce's attacks…and dished out his attacks with an equal ferocity…images of him painstakingly sewing those goddamn patches on his gi flashed through his mind and helped him fuel his anger.

But suddenly, something strange happened…Jamie landed a successful punch on Bruce and was about to deliver another when the urban arena vanished…the cars, the DJ, and the people were suddenly gone…even the sickening stench of trash and garbage was replaced by something…strange…something ancient…something that Jamie couldn't put his finger on.

The roar of the crowd went from several hundred to several thousand and Jamie realized that he was no longer fighting in some ornate…and freakishly crafted junkyard…instead he was in an ancient coliseum…gilded statues were everywhere and he felt the sun blazing on his face…the stench of blood and death lingered through out the arena and the crowd begged for more.

Rose petals fell lightly towards the ground…and he could hear the crowd praising him in a foreign language…a language that didn't sound familiar at all too him.

"AEON! AEON! AEON!"

_Who's Aeon?_

And just as quickly, the vision ended and Jamie was treated to a full on round house kick to his bruised side.

"AUUGGGHH!" Jamie moaned as he stooped a little.

Bruce tried to kick again against Jamie's exposed temple, but the Nephilim wouldn't let him…he blocked the attack, but Bruce quickly grabbed Jamie's arm and pulled…Jamie pulled back and Bruce got a handful of Jamie's gi shirt rather then a handful of Nephilim. Causing what little fan girl's there were in the audience to squeal in delight.

Bruce was tiring…and yet so was Jamie…Bruce chucked Jamie's shirt to the floor and ran at the Nephilim…suddenly, at the last second...Jamie had an idea…it was a long shot…and he had to time it right…he'd be putting the last of his stamina into one last attack and it had to be perfect.

_C'mon…c'mon…NOW!_

And Jamie leapt into the air and performed one of his favorite moves…a perfect spin kick…

_Houston, we have contact…_

The blow was so powerful that it sent Bruce spinning through the air…and landing on a particularly nasty spot of broken glass. He struggled angrily…but he was too exhausted to get up.

"AND THE WINNER! JAMIE PARKER!"

Jamie walked over to Bruce's fallen form and picked up his ripped gi top.

"Let that be a lesson to you…or y'know, those who pass by your mangled body." He said with an innocent smile on his face.

"You…you…won…" Bruce struggled.

He thanked his fans and signed a few autographs and took a few pictures…but beneath his sunny exterior he was a flurry of upsetment…who was Aeon…and what was up with this vision? It felt so real.

_Well whatever it is…I think I've just come up with the main topic of discussion for tonight…_

_New Scene…_

The park's garden was very pretty, and Mina was glad that she was fighting here…the park had many gardens but hands down, her favorite was the rose garden. The wrought iron gates had intricate designs at the top, and ivy snaked intricately around the stone walls and bars of the gates.

The garden itself was actually quite small, with smooth stone steps, benches, and fountains. Statues of Cherubs and animals stood watch in the corners. Smooth, flat stone served as the walkways and beautiful roses tantalized the air.

Mina waited for Anna, and as she did she walked around the grounds.

"It's so pretty here…" She breathed.

She sat on one of the benches.

"I know…Steve took me here during the 4th tournament and this is where we…never mind…" Christie began.

Abruptly, Mina leapt of the bench.

"Oh c'mon! It's been clean!" Christie said with a laugh.

Mina returned it and knelt down to smell the roses…she brushed an arrant strand of hair back behind her ear and admired the flowers.

"I didn't know you liked flowers." Christie asked with a cock of her head.

"Oh yeah…I mean, what girl doesn't…I don't know much about growing them or anything…but I think they're pretty to look at even nicer to smell.

"Jamie sends you a lot of flowers?" Christie asked.

"Nah…he picks 'em for me though…whenever we're not doing something y'know, Nephilim related…besides…I kinda like it better that way…it's…it's more genuine y'know?"

"Yeah…that's sweet." Christie said with a smile.

Suddenly, the deep, in-depth conversation was immediately cut short by the sound of cruel laughter. Mina and Christie turned to see Anna Williams on the other side of the garden.

"I came in at," She mocked Mina's voice cruelly. "He picks them for me…and it's really genuine y'know?"

"Mina, I'm surprised we didn't notice her…with that ugly red dress who couldn't?"

"Fuck off tit bags." Anna said contemptuously. "Doesn't the token slut of the Iron Fist Tournament have some judges to go sleep with?" She finished sweetly.

"Hey!" Mina began…her anger rising.

Afterall, the girls and guys during this tournament had been really nice to Mina…and a lot of the girls were becoming really good friends to her…and she was not about to sit back and let some psycho bitch trash them!

"No it's okay Mina…Anna's just upset because she doesn't have the stuff to fill the cups." Christie said calmly. "Kick her ass, I know you'll do fine."

Christie smiled and walked out of the garden…and that's when Mina noticed that suddenly, a swarm of people assaulted the rose garden to watch…her once quiet sanctuary was assaulted with a camera crew and screaming fans.

"I'm going to beat you so hard that it will knock you out of those ugly, uneven streaks in your hair!"

"Pfft…like you're one to give fashion advice? That big ass bow in back doesn't do much for your hips sweetie." Mina shot back.

Jamie may have been the Nephilim…and he may toss out witty puns and sarcastic comments as fiercely as a round house kick…but Mina could dish them out just as effectively.

The announcer called the fight…and way to soon, Mina was treated to hearing the other F-word…

"FIGHT!"

And so the fight began…Anna unleashing a flurry of kicks with her stiletto heels…most of which Mina blocked.

_Damn…and I thought I could work heels…this girl is crazy!_

Up until this point, Mina was always pretty proud of the fact that A: she looked stunning in heels…and B: She could drive and run in them…Anna did a pretty good job of humbling her.

Mina countered with a quick side step, and a graceful roundhouse, hook kick…the round house landed in Anna's ribs, while the hook kicked cracked against Anna's temple. Anna misjudged the attack because Mina had made it look so clean and crisp, that it didn't look like it would provide much of any impact…the Irish Assassin was surprised…and a bit enraged as she stumbled backwards in pain.

"And that would be Miss Mina's patented 1, 2, step maneuver!" The announcer called cheerfully.

"YOU…YOU BITCH!" Anna snarled.

"You're sister may not've been able to kill you…but I'll humiliate you, and it'll be a start!" Mina said back.

"You can try…I eat little girls like you for breakfast!"

"I saw you eating breakfast today…just between us girls…I don't think you should be going back for seconds at the buffet…it all goes to your thighs!"

Anna and Mina began exchanging fierce hand to hand attacks…something that she wasn't incredibly proficient in…Mina was a tae kwon do master…in her martial art form…one focused mostly on kicks rather then punches.

"OOOFF!" Mina cried.

One of Anna's punches hit her hard in the collar bone…making her stagger back. Anna didn't waste any time…and Mina found herself caught in a whirlwind of Anna's fast kicks.

Mina fell to the ground…the count down started…but she saved herself by getting up in time…in the time that it did take her to get up though, Anna was running towards her.

The assassin leapt in the air…and Mina thought she was going to do a jumping side kick…Mina didn't have time to move…but maybe she could use physics too…

"AAAUUGGGHH!" Mina grunted.

_Shit…I thought too much…_

And in a second she was on the ground…only Anna didn't try a jumping side kick…instead, Anna's right leg was sprawled across Mina's legs, and her left was underneath…Anna was trying to reach for Mina's trapped foot! She was going to try to break it!

_If she gets this then there goes my fighting career…I've gotta get out!_

Quickly…Mina pulled her upper half up, and grabbed at Anna's reaching hand…Anna wasn't expecting it…and Mina managed to put her in a pretty painful wrist lock.

"Hap ki do…boring as hell but really comes in handy don't you think?" She asked sweetly.

She pulled Anna up with the wrist lock and flung her back to the ground.

"YOU…YOU…I'LL KILL YOU! YOU FUCKING PERIOD HAIRED WHORE!"

Round two began with a bang…the males in the audience hooting and hollering at the ensuing battle.

_All boys like a good catfight I suppose…_

Mina was a nice person…a good person…but she didn't feel any pity towards Anna…the woman had tried to break her foot! In such a way that even when it healed she probably would never be able to do martial arts again…which was something that Kim Seung Mina couldn't even begin to fathom.

"Anna…seriously," The two began to spar closely now…Mina had to break away and fast. "I've got cramps too…but you've just gotta suck it up and move on!"

Finally…Mina landed a punch on Anna's face…a lucky one to be exact…and while she was stunned, Mina dropped her weight and pulled a lightning fast, devastating side kick…Anna clutched her gut…and Mina took full advantage.

Quickly, Mina gauged her distance…and realized that she could pull it off…this was her most devastating attack, and it would probably knock Anna out. She performed three, vast, graceful spins towards Anna, and at the last second, leapt into the air before landing a jumping ax kick.

"Could it be…IT IS! Folks…this is Miss Mina's patented A-Town stomp! Named after the popular dance move!"

It worked, Anna fell…and she wasn't getting up anytime soon.

Mina laughed as she finished the attack.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod…_

She had won!

She had won her first fight!

The sudden stop left her feeling dizzy and she fell on her ass and laughed some more…finally she stood up, and turned to walk away…before turning to Anna…who lay on the ground gasping for air…and that's when Mina felt sorry for her.

"Hey…it was a good fight…no hard feelings okay?" She smiled and offered her hand.

Anna slapped it away…

"You're fast! Like a rabbit…or maybe a rat…yes…that's all you and your little boyfriend are in this tournament…rats in a cage!"

"Well…if I can't be nice to you then here…" Mina fished in her gi pockets and pulled out an aspirin bottle full of extra strength Midol. "I think you can use this more then I can."

"Mina that was incredible! I can't believe you won!" Christie exclaimed. "Let's go back to the hotel and tell everyone! Or at least Kaori and Kyo…you did awesome!" She finished by giving her a hug.

The two laughed as they walked back to the hotel…but Anna's cryptic comment still lingered in the back of Mina's mind…and she wasn't sure what it exactly meant…

She would soon enough…

_New Scene…_

Grey stared in amusement at his opponent…a giant, Terminator knock off with a platinum blonde Mohawk. Its Germanic features set in stony silence as it stared at Grey.

"Forgive us please Mr. Greyson…but Jack-6 hasn't been turned on yet." The announcer said.

"Of course he isn't…" Grey scoffed.

Casually, he walked up to the robot and stared at it…he tapped its face, and gazed into its startling blue eyes curiously.

"Hello in there…helloooo…can you hear me?" He asked, waving his hand back and forth across it's vacant eyes.

"Of course he can't…I haven't turned him on yet." A voice said.

Grey turned and stared at the mousy young woman in the lab coat…she didn't look like she was much older then himself. She wore thick glasses and had her hair tied back…she'd be cute if she wasn't so repressed…Grey decided to mess with her for a bit.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked somewhat menacingly.

She bristled at the comment. "Jack's…assistant …my name is Jane."

"Oh…you create him?"

"You could say that."

"Great job…" Grey tapped its face with his hand. "Looks real…kinda reminds me of this guy I knew awhile back…dumb as rocks but a mouth like a hoover-"

"I think he's ready!" Jamie interrupted.

"Oh…" Grey shrugged. "Then let's get this bitch over with."

The two were fighting at the airport…on a close off landing strip to be precise…and if Grey heard;

"The red zone is for loading and unloading only…"

One last time he was going to seriously kill something…and it looked like Jack here had just volunteered. Suddenly, Jack came to life…he made a strange roaring sound…which to Grey, heard something like a cow going through a blender.

He fired his piston like arms in the air…and bullets fell.

"Are those loaded?" Grey asked the announcer.

"No of course not sir."

"Bummer." Grey said.

He was decked out in full regalia today…he wore his skin tight, black, "Trash" brand jeans…and his skin tight Resident Evil t-shirt…the image had an eviscerated zombie hand laying on the ground…a crow was perched on the hand…pecking at the flesh…it looked up, with a glinting red eye, and a piece of gristle in it's beak. His hair, as usual, had a long strip of bangs covering his right eye…but the residual hair he had was spiked up with hair glue.

His eyebrow ring was in…as were his three lip piercings…his vibrating tongue ring (which he only wore on special occasions) his nipple rings and his other piercing…down below his waistline.

His combat boots completed the ensemble…both practical and stylish.

Round one began…and the hulking giant lunged at Grey…

Grey tried to side step out of the way…and he did, except that he was surprised by Jack's attack…he extended his arms and his whole upper body spun completely around!

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Grey screamed angrily as he was hit by the giant pistons twice.

He landed, on the ground…and was almost lost before he regained his composure and leapt up. Jack was about to get up…and when he turned, Grey rushed at him. He leapt towards his body, and wrapped his legs around the robot's waist…he then began to beat on Jacks face…the blows hurt him…but Grey was only dully aware of the pain.

He didn't have a lot of time…but finally, he heard a dull smashing sound…satisfied, Grey gave one final punch and leapt off…where Jack's right eye was…there was now a sunken in hole…the red sensor eye had been completely smashed.

Grey had won round one.

"YOU…PLEASE…DON'T DAMAGE HIM ANYMORE THEN YOU HAVE TOO!" Came Jane's pitiful plea.

"Okay fine…but I thought that was the point of the tournament…" Grey said with mock confusion and a shrug of his shoulders.

Round two began…and this time, Jack began to do this crazy, Russian step dance move…a move that once Grey got trapped in…couldn't seem to get out of...by the time Jack was finished…his shins felt like they were about to break…before Grey could retaliate…Jack punched him…and sent the young man flying into one of the metal blockades.

Angrily…and with a furious roar, Grey grabbed a piece of the gate and pulled…he now had a makeshift bow staff…weapons were expressly illegal unless further allowed…and the tournament official allowed them for this fight as Grey was going up against a two ton robot.

And Grey was going to take full advantage of the situation. He quickly ran at Jack with his weapon…and at the last second dodged to the right…as Jack was blind on that side.

Before Jack could do anything else, Grey leapt onto the robot's back…and jammed the serrated piece of piping as hard as he could into the creature's "skull"

The creature gave a delightful "SQQQUUEEEEEE" sound…before vicious black smog began to pour out of him…it smelled like a burning modem…Jack's head hung limply…and the piece of the pipe that came out of the other end of him propped him up at a strange angle.

The crowd roared in delight, and Grey realized that with this simple act he had become a new fan favorite.

"YOU PROMISED YOU WEREN'T GOING TO HURT HIM!" Jane said angrily.

"Yeah…about that…I lied…you acted really bitchy to me when I tried to be nice…so," Grey lit a cigarette and blew the smoke into her face. "Bye bye boyfriend…back to the drawing board huh?"

He walked off, cigarette poking out of his mouth…he inhaled the sweet tobacco and let it blow through his nose…

_Y'know what? It's good to be me…_

Author's Note: Whew! 10 pages…sorry if Grey's fight wasn't too detailed but I'm exhausted…and I know I promised to answer the anna and lee thing this chappie…but I'm exhausted…oh, and I kinda feel bad for not focusing on Grey and stuff…this next chappie will be kind of a slow night for the gang…and Jamie and the others will discuss what exactly is up with his strange vision and Anna's cryptic comment…and what's it like for Lee rooming with Grey? All these and more next chappie! Oh, and please READ AND REVIEW! MUCH LOVE TO ALL!


	11. Chapter 11: Silent Night

Chapter Eleven: Silent Night.

Author's Note: Hi! As this chapter suggests it'll be a quiet night for Jamie and the gang…research and stuff…mostly boring…but y'know, this is a lot of information that they've gotta sort through and stuff…but don't worry, we'll get some more info as the story progresses…I'm adding these two chappies mainly because I've kind of hit writer's block…but I've gotta keep updating because it's getting to be pretty intense! I mean, I only updated the other night, and all ready, my stories been bounced back to like, number 7!

Karisan: Hey! Guess what! Kazuya's back! I've felt kind of bad because I've been neglecting him…it's just that he's never really been my favorite character and I'm a little scared in writing his personality because I'm always afraid I'll mess him up (he is a fan favorite after all). Oh, and sorry…you did say you liked Grey's character…and I thought that you also liked his personality.

Thee Slushee: Y'know…I'd like to tell you that the reason I messed up the "Urban Jungle" background is because of the American Version of the game…but in all honesty, you're right…it is called Urban Jungle…it's the same in both versions it's just that when I packed for school…I left my Tekken 5 game in my room at my house in Texas…so honestly, it was a mix up on my part…but thank you for being so understanding with it…that might happen a lot while I write this story…I haven't played Tekken 5 in awhile so I always have to try to remember what the names of each of the stages are…so please bare with me!

Astral Slayer Asuka: Hey, I like the new name…partly because it's cool, and partly because it's easier for me to write LOL! Hey, I like your story, it's getting pretty good…oh, and by the way…did you want to use Jamie in your story? I can't remember…if you want too I don't see any problems with it!

JunKing: I forgot to write you a response for the last chapter! I'm really sorry about that! Y'know, I'm really glad that you enjoy Mina's character…and it really means a lot to hear it from you! I like her too LOL…and I'm really happy that she went from kind of an "eeehhh" character to one of your faves! To be honest with you, at first I felt kind of "eh" towards Peter…but he's become one of my fave OC's…I'm not really big on preachy religious types, but Peter doesn't bother me at all…I like how he gets his points across without screaming about how "GOD WILL SMITE YOU!" LOL…seriously though, I really like him, and I'm glad that you like Mina now!

Shadowsin: Hey, hope to hear from you soon buddy! Write more because I'm addicted!

DevilBilly: Hey, hope everything's going great with you!

Okay…on with the story.

"All I asked is that you stay out of trouble…what's so hard about that? Do you not understand the words that come out of my mouth!" Kazuya Mishima asked angrily.

"Well…actually…you mumble a bit…and Japanese really isn't my first language." Jamie said.

"I told you all this in English!" Kazuya argued.

"Still…it wouldn't kill you to enunciate…" Jamie said.

Kazuya sighed and rubbed his head angrily…a migraine was beginning at the bridge of nose…in the three days since they had been in Japan…Jamie and Kyosuke had managed to completely shatter the whole "low profile rule"…now, Heihachi knew without a doubt that the Nephilim and his posse had invaded the tournament with as much discretion as a water buffalo.

Kazuya turned to Kyo. "I have three children from your lovely mother…my oldest doesn't give me any trouble…my youngest doesn't give me any trouble…so why is it that my middle child has all these problems?"

"Classic middle child syndrome I guess…" Jin said.

"Well, whatever the case, our discretion is completely blown thanks to…" Kazuya turned to glance at the guilty party…Jamie and Kyo…Jamie was slouched into a chair, with one leg brought up to his chin, while Kyo looked comfortable slouching back…he had healed considerably in the last couple of hours. "Starsky and Hutch over here."

"Starsky and Hutch?" Jamie asked. "A little bit obscure…but I'll go with it…guess that makes me Hutch."

"Who's Starsky?" Kyo asked.

"He's part of a great American classic tv show," Julia began. "Later, they made a mediocre remake for a movie."

"I call Snoop Dog's character!" Hwoarang called.

"I wanna be Carmen Electra's character from the movie!" Mina said laughing, getting into it.

"Only without the skanky hoe bag girl on girl kiss right?" Xiaoyu asked.

"Oh yeah…forgot about that, thanks for pointing it out." Mina added.

"In all seriousness…I didn't call this meeting so we could talk about movies and old television shows…" Kazuya began. "I received an e-mail from your friend Maureen Jamie."

"Really…with the stuff about Grey?" Asuka asked.

"Well screw the introduction shit! What's it say?" Billy asked.

Kazuya stood at the end of the table (they had procured a conference room at the hotel) and read from the stack of papers.

"Douglas William Greyson was born on September 8th 1985 in a place called Cookeville Tennessee. Apparently he's the son of a Baptist Minster,"

That comment was treated to a sarcastic snort from Jamie…Kazuya countered with a glare.

"And one of the minister's choir girls…apparently, the girl was only seventeen when she had gotten pregnant…Grey's father, Richard Greyson actually loved the girl and the two bought a house, married, and lived together…they seemed happy enough until Grey was born."

"So…what happened next?" Xiaoyu asked, leaning forward, her eyes gleaming with interest.

"Well…that's when the family history gets a little…interesting…it seems that Richard Greyson shot himself in the face with a shotgun two days after Grey was born…complaining of horrific nightmares…"

"…that's so sad…" Kaori shuddered.

"Grey's mother…Amelia tried to kill her baby by drowning it in the bathtub…the neighbors had called complaining that the baby had been crying…when confronted by the police and paramedics, Amelia had said that God had told her to kill him…that he'd…well, in her exact words her baby 'had been something or someone else before' and that he was 'evil'."

The room grew quiet after that.

"Grey was immediately brought to Alcoa Orphanage…named after the town…where he'd lived all his life…except in the spring of 1997 when he was adopted…apparently into a then unknown abusive family…mainly the father…Grey lived with the family for three weeks…during which time he had been abused…sexually…"

"Oh God…" Mina said, her hand over her mouth.

Instinctively, she grasped Jamie's hand, and he squeezed it back lightly.

"He was sent back to the Orphanage where he stayed until it burned down in June of this year…during this time Grey changed…he began acting out…getting in trouble with the law…stuff like that…"

"Did he kill anyone during this time?" Jin asked.

"No…petty stuff…stealing, vandalism, stuff like that."

"So basically, he was like me when I was his age?" Hwoarang asked, tapping the ashes into the ash tray.

"He attended Alcoa TTJC, which is apparently short for Tennessee Tae Kwon Do and Judo College…where he learned Judo, and kickboxing…he's actually registered as one of the toughest ranking fighters in Tennessee."

"Wow…" Jamie said in an impressed tone.

Everyone who attended classes at a registered school was ranked state wide…and eventually in the nationals…Jamie and Mina were both ranked in the Florida area…Jamie even thought he was ranked in the nation, but he never paid much attention.

"He attended Alcoa high school in the fall of '99 and graduated in '03…his permanent record shows that he is actually a very smart boy…but he never applied himself…he apparently has a natural talent for chemistry and theater…but wound up graduating highschool with a 2.3 GPA."

"Ouch…" Julia said.

"He had taken a semester at a community college before dropping out to work full time at the Karate School and the Orphanage."

"He doesn't sound too evil to me…" Kyo pointed out.

"Oh please," Julia scoffed. "The details of what his mother did have a rational scientific explanation.

"Alright," Billy said with his arms folded. "Let's here 'em Scully!"

"Simple…Grey was still a newborn when his mother attempted to kill him…his mother might have been suffering from a severe case of depression after giving birth to him…it's not uncommon at all.."

"Still," Christie argued. "I've read about that sort of thing before…mother's don't try to kill their babies because they that their evil!"

"Wait a sec…" Jamie began. "While I was fighting Bruce I blacked out…and when I came too…I was in…some kind of…arena from Greece or Rome or whatever…and they kept chanting this name… 'Aeon'…"

"So you dreamt…" Steve began.

"No…I didn't dream…I was there!" Jamie said. "And Grey mentioned about being an Avatar…which might explain why he's so strong."

"But what's he the Avatar of?" Asuka asked.

"I don't know…but I think this…Aeon character might have something to do with it." Kazuya said. "Julia? Can you help look into it?"

"Not without a disk or something…it's a very broad topic…"

"I'll get the info you need…" Jamie said, slowly rising from his chair.

"Jamie…wait…how?" Mina asked, beginning to get worried.

"Where does Doctor Abel live? Does he have an apartment or something?" Jamie asked.

"Uptown near the Shinjuku district…" Kazuya said off handedly. "Why?"

"I'm going to pay a visit to his home…I've got an idea…"

"What? No! I won't allow it!" Jin said.

"Listen, I've got a plan…sort of…just trust me on this okay? I need to patrol anyway!"

"I'm going with you…I won't let you do this alone!" Kyo said firmly, raising up.

"Then get some comfy clothes on…we're leaving soon…listen, this whole vision thing is really freaking me out…and whenever things like this normally happen to me they tend to get worse so…instead of just putting it off I'm going to deal with it…I'll be back soon I promise!"

Realizing that they weren't going to convince the Nephilim otherwise…they wished him good luck and decided that to continue the research as Jamie and Kyo went out…

"Be careful okay…" Mina whispered to him…as he put on a pair of baggy jeans, and a light, blue track jacket…

"I'll be fine…be back soon…" He gave her his boyish grin and headed outside…and into the encroaching darkness with Kyo.

Author's Note: Okay…I'm not asking for attention or anything…but I do believe this chapter sucked…and I'm not trying to make excuses but please listen before you pass judgement…with the left over money from my scholarship I'm going to buy a lap top cuz I need it desperately…and I'm giving the comp I write stories on, to my best friend's dad, to hold for me…I'm getting my laptop tomorrow, and by the time I get everything set up it'll be well into next week…and I didn't want to hold off…I wanted to squeeze one last chappie in before I give this comp up…also, I kinda have writer's block so I cranked this chappie out…I know it's short…and not so descriptive…but please bare with me! I promise the next chapter will be better! NO FLAMES PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	12. Chapter 12: Night Terrors

Chapter Twelve: Night Terrors

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Long time no see! Currently, I'm in the middle of installing my laptop with all the fun little programs that I used to have on my main comp so right now, I'm writing this chappie on my school library computer…um…I'm sort of pressed for time so I'm not going to do shout outs this time…so I'll do them double on the next chappie! Oh, and this will be a Grey-centric chappie, because I feel sort of bad for neglecting him and don't worry…the action will commence soon…but please bear with one last quiet chappie before balls to the wall action kicks off again! Oh, and I'm trying something new with my writing style…one of my friends didn't think I could pull it off but let me know…

_The screams and battle cries echoed through his mind as he sat in his tent on the top of the hill…metal against metal clanging through the mid afternoon gloom kept rhythm with the cracks of thunder and peals of lightning. He was antsy…nervously fiddling with his sword and meticulously re-tying his sandals._

_He watched the Generals fuss over the map splayed in front of them…not that he cared…and finally, they seemed in agreement, deciding to use the plan that they had deemed "unsuitable" not an hour ago._

"_Only two people can actually enter the palace and break the locks." The grizzled old man began. "Are you and your brother up for it?"_

_He grinned._

"_Father, why wouldn't I be? Aeon and I are the best warriors in this whole army you know that…"_

_Agreements were made, and he walked out of the tent and looked down the hill at the battle below…his brother stood at the edge, calmly watching the ensuing. Aeon…younger by a year, and as ruthless, and fiercely competitive as his brother; his younger brother's jet black hair reached to his mid, bare back and hung in countless, tiny braids._

"_Are they done?" Aeon asked._

"_Yes…we're ready."_

_Aeon grinned. "Good…I don't want all these soldiers to hog all the fun…so what're we doing?"_

"_Storming the palace, and breaking the locks to let the others in."_

"_And it's not even my birthday…"_

"_Are you ready?"_

"_After you brother!" Aeon said, waving his hand out._

_And together, the two rushed down the hill, and into the ensuing battle where-_

And Grey woke up…

He sat straight up in his bed panting…his bare chest soaked with sweat…

_What was that…_

He didn't know…but he didn't like it…was it a dream? It felt too real…whenever Grey dreamed, it always had something to do with purple raptors on razor scooters who quoted Shakespeare with English accents chasing him through a jungle…and then of course…there were the standard sex dreams.

_Speaking of which…_

Grey looked down at the sheets and muttered a quick. "Down boy."

He felt restless…and for once in his life, he thought he'd be responsible by getting to bed at a relatively decent hour…and now…when it got right to it, he couldn't sleep. He looked around the room…it had a huge, four poster bed…silk sheets…big, open windows, a desk, a private bathroom, and a personal fireplace.

_Too formal maybe…_

Maybe it was too cold or sterile…it was something that Grey wasn't exactly used to. True, he used to live in a big house, but that big house was old, rickety, and had about twenty five other children in it. He could barely fathom the fact that he had his own bathroom…much less his own room!

He sighed and ran his hands blearily down his face…sleep wasn't going to come anytime soon, so he decided that he might as well explore Lee's mansion. Before leaving, he grabbed his lighter and pack of cigarettes off the night table…he ran his hand through the back of his hair, feeling the residual hair glue between his black polished fingers.

And so, without much else to do, Grey opened the door to his room, and stumbled out into the hall.

_New Scene…_

"While I've never approved of your choice of lifestyle I'm afraid I have a mission for you." Heihachi Mishima said, his eyes never leaving the computer.

"And what's that?" Lee asked, leaning against one of the computer tables…his eyes already flickering with interest.

"Grey…he needs a…special friend…" Heihachi said, struggling to find the right words.

"And how will that help us in the long run?" Lee asked.

"He's not that hard to manipulate at all…and with his family issues, he is the stereotypical foster child."

"Since when did you get into child psychology?" Lee asked.

"Grey needs to feel that someone cares about him…sure, I pretend I care for him in a fatherly way…but he needs…something more…something that will bind him to our cause." Heihachi finally turned. "And that's where you come in."

"So what? You want me to pretend to come on to him?"

"It never stopped you before…unfortunately, Grey may be an avatar…but he also is a rebel, and that little issue could severely destroy our chances of ever completing the Ritual of Triumvarence!"

"It wouldn't destroy our chances."

"No, but it would make it difficult…and I'd rather have everything go according to plan." Heihachi said.

"You do realize that he and I have a twenty year age gap don't you? He watched me on TV during the second Iron Fist when he was just practically out of diapers."

"And since when has age stopped you before?"

"Good point." Lee finished.

Heihachi continued watching the monitors for a bit…something that looked like an EKG reader was flashing across the screen.

"What's that?" Lee asked.

"Dr. Abel installed it for me…it's a program that allows me to watch Grey's sleep patterns…" The thin, green line danced across the screen…before making a sudden arc up. "This means that he's dreaming…a particularly real one too. Probably about his past life." Heihachi grinned.

Lee turned to look at the camera…Grey tossed, turned, before promptly getting up and walking out of his room.

"I'll go look after him." Lee said.

"I think you should." Heihachi replied.

_(New Scene…)_

It took him awhile, but Grey finally found a porch to sit at…it was actually right where the pool was…blindingly dazzling white tile and columns flanked the area…and as Grey surveyed the whole enclosure…he realized that someone could really throw some wild parties here. The pale moonlight rippled off the still water…and as Grey inhaled his cigarette smoke, he watched it curl off into the night sky…he stared at the waters edge…and seriously considered going swimming.

He'd always loved doing it…and he had made the Alcoa High swim team…and was actually pretty good…but his grades slipped and he was kicked off the team. He tapped the ashes in the ash tray and thought about swimming again.

He loved doing it…especially at night…truthfully, he was elated that he was staying at a place with a pool…the Orphanage didn't have one…and the other two alternatives were the nasty, pee-soaked community pool, or Norris Lake, where there were water snakes, scratchy seaweed, and fish that kept biting you.

He supposed he shouldn't bash Norris Lake too much though…after all, he had some great memories there. He wasn't wearing any swim trunks…only a pair of black, shorts to sleep in…he didn't want to get them wet…and besides, it was much more relaxing to swim without clothes getting in the way…he placed his cigarette in the ashtray…stood, and reached for his shorts…before the door opened.

"Going for a swim?" It was Lee.

Grey sighed, and sat back down. "Thinking about it."

Lee took a seat next to Grey, and they stared across at the placid water…Grey continued to smoke.

"Couldn't sleep?" Lee asked.

"Sort of…" He breathed out a line of blue tinted smoke. "It's a nice house…or mansion…or whatever you want to call it…I'm just not used to it being so…so…isolated…" Grey finished, finally coming up with the right word.

Lee chuckled. "You get used to it after awhile…I'm hardly ever here…I mostly live in my mansion in the Bahamas."

"Really?" Grey chuckled. "No shit…what do you do anyway?"

"Stock mostly…and the Zaibatsu tends to keep me busy."

"They should give me a job…I want a big ass mansion." Grey mused.

"When this tournament is over I could show you my home there…" Lee said, letting the offer hang.

Finally, Grey turned, and stared Lee full on in the face…he raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?"

"It's very nice…my own private beach…83 rooms…" He began, painting a vivid picture. "A kid like you would enjoy it."

"Hey, I'm no kid." Grey began defensively. "And I think I'll take you up on that offer."

Grey cocked his head to the side. "Question is…what do you want?"

"Excuse me?" Lee asked, playing innocent.

"Fine…if you're not going to give me a straight answer then let me answer it clearly…you're going to say that 'you're open to suggestions' and then we'll keep speaking in non committal phrases until one of us asks the question on both our minds, so let me answer for you…I don't have a preference of gender…I just like sex. I'm good at it…and I like it."

_Well…certainly wasn't expecting that…_

For someone whom Heihachi thought was easy to analyze, Grey was sure pulling a few curve balls. And unfortunately…Lee was starting to like his cool, confidence, and he did look good in the moonlight…hell he looked good anytime but here…without the make-up…and without his over the top outfits…he looked simple…and in the end, Lee kind of liked simple.

Grey shivered slightly…he wasn't used to the cold…and in that instant, Lee noticed certain innocence about him…and he almost felt bad for lying to Grey…for, Grey would never get to see Lee's Bahamas Mansion…

He would be dead.

Before they could say anything else, Lee's cell phone rang. He answered, and Grey listened to the conversation…Heihachi was on the other line and he sounded pissed.

"Dr. Abel's house has been raided! That stupid American and my grandson made off with an important data disc!"

"What! I'll take care of it!" Lee shouted.

Angrily he hung his phone and began to storm out.

"Wait," Grey called. "I'll go."

"No…I want to deal with them myself," Lee grinned. "Besides, Jamie still thinks I'm dead…I officially never got to fight him, so I want to see just how worthy he really is!"

Author's Note: Rushed I know…but I've now got five minutes to get to class so PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I'm sorry about the shout outs but I'll do double next chappie I promise! By the way…this chapter was a challenge by my friend Britney…she didn't think that I, being a straight male, could write a somewhat tasteful shounen-i…shounan-ie…oh hell I can't spell it…but you get my drift…and no there won't be any porn or anything…I think this is the extent I'll go, so if I offended I'm sorry…PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! READ AND REVIEW PLZ!


	13. Chapter 13: Breaking and Entering

Chapter 13: Breaking and Entering.

Author's Note: Okay…first thing's first…I wanted to apologize for the last chapter if I offended anyone…I'm really, and truly sorry…it was something a friend of mine challenged me to write…I personally am not a big fan of yaoi…or whatever the hell it's called…it doesn't mean I'm dumping all over yaoi writers…if that's what you like and that's what you write then I'm all "GO YOU!" My friend writes stories like that and wanted to see if I could do it…but that's as extreme as it's going to get…again, if I offended anyone, then I am truly…deeply sorry…also, the last chapter that I did write was indeed written in an incredible rush…so please…I really don't want anyone mad at me…so I'm very, very, very, sorry…anyway, on with the story I guess…PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!

Thee Slushee: Yeah I know that this last chappie was…interesting…looking back on it I never should've written it and I'm sorry if it was offensive.

Astral Slayer Asuka: I figured out a way to put in Asuka's romance! It should happen pretty soon.

Karisan: You're story is great and I hope to hear from you soon! I'm trying to review when I can so please keep bearing with me!

Shadowsin: Computer trouble can be a real bitch! I'd offer to help but I'm not much of a computer whiz kid LOL…all I can do is check my mail, surf the web, and write my stories…I usually have friends do it for me…but I'm really looking forward to reading more of your story, and I'm flattered that you still have an interest in mine and keep reviewing.

Devil Billy: Hey, did I use your signature move from def jam? I own that game, my friend Gabby and I love it…any game where I can have Lil' Kim smack Sean Paul upside the head with a beer bottle is okay by me!

Okay…I'm excited are you excited? On with the story!

"Isn't this dangerous?" Kyosuke Kazama shouted as he leapt another rooftop trailing behind the Nephilim.

"Yeah," Jamie said…he landed on a rooftop and skidded to a stop. "But it's really fun huh?" He finished with a grin.

"No…complaints…there…just gimme…a second…too catch…my breath…" Kyo panted.

"No worries, take your time."

As Kyo regained composure Jamie reminded himself that the next time he brought someone out on patrol…he'd be sure to break them in easily…rooftop jumping wasn't exactly great for newbies to the Nephilim world.

Truthfully, Jamie only "roof hopped" when he was alone, or chasing something…most of the time (since he patrolled with Robbie, Maureen, and Mina) he stuck to the ground…but after all, Kyo was part Devil…and he had held up pretty well.

Jamie wrapped his arms around his chest and glanced around…

"I guess this is uptown…I mean, the houses and apartments look nicer."

"Yeah, this is the Shinjuku District…" Kyo cocked his head and looked at Jamie. "Hey, I thought you lived in Japan before."

"Yeah, but I left when I was like, four…we lived in Yokosuka on base…but just because I was born here doesn't mean I really know where everything is."

"Well, dad said that Abel lived in the penthouse overlooking the park…over…there!" Kyo pointed down the street and a couple of blocks over.

"Okay…sounds good." Jamie said.

Mentally, he charted a clear path towards their destination…a couple more buildings to hop and they'd be all set.

"You ready?" Jamie asked with a grin.

"Race ya there!" Kyo challenged.

_(New Scene…)_

Breaking into Abel's penthouse wasn't hard…after landing on the roof to his building, and going down the stairwell, all that was left was to break the lock on the front door…the lock was relatively simple, and all Jamie had to do was exert a little of his Nephilim strength and turn the knob…with a crunch the door opened.

All the lights were off inside, bathing the area in moonlight from the big, open windows. Surprisingly, it was a rather nice place…what wasn't cluttered with files, papers, and various other odds and ends gave way to stylish furniture and modern décor.

"I wasn't expecting this…I figured he'd live in some hole in the wall apartment or something…"

"He's on the Zaibatsu's payroll as one of the top researchers…they make more then a couple of dollars."

Jamie whistled. "Swanky…maybe I should get a job there…y'know, when your dad reinstates his position and the Zaibatsu isn't such a conglomerate of evil."

Kyo chuckled. "I hear that…so let's get to searching…I mean, we probably don't have a lot of time until he gets back."

"Right," Jamie began, stepping forward…he began to walk towards the stairs until Kyo stopped him.

"HEY WAIT!" Kyo pulled the Nephilim back, and gestured to a pair of red eyes in the corner.

It took Jamie a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness…but then he found the culprit behind the scary eyes…a Combot…

"Be careful; we don't know what kind of crazy fighting styles that thing knows."

Jamie sighed in annoyance…walked over, and before the robot could activate, the Nephilim focused all his strength into a devastating roundhouse kick to the mechanized monster's face. Sparks flew as it's neck snapped and a sound not unlike a crunching soda can echoed through the vacant apartment.

"And now we never will…one of those great mysteries of life that I've never been too curious to solve." He said mildly, staring at the robot as its eyes slowly faded to black.

"So…now what? There's a lot of stuff that we can go through." Kyo asked.

"I'll take the downstairs…and you take the upstairs…and we'll go through as much as we can." Jamie said with a sigh.

It was late, and the Nephilim was drained both emotionally and physically from his fight today…he'd rather be back in his hotel room…holed-up under the blankets and watching some crappy movie on HBO like all the other fighters were probably doing tonight…and instead he was here, on some kind of reconnaissance mission of the damned.

"What if Doctor Abel comes?" Kyosuke asked.

"Then we'll deal with him…I'm a pretty good judge of character and I think I've got a plan that will work against him." Jamie said.

"You've met him before?"

"No…not officially…but just…just trust me okay?" Jamie asked.

"Okay…" Kyo sighed. "I'll go see what the upstairs is like."

"And I'll tackle," Jamie turned and made a broad sweeping gesture over the mountain of clutter that made up the downstairs. "This."

_(New Scene)_

"I can't find anything! Just invoice stuff!" Kyo called from the upstairs.

"Well keep looking." Jamie called back.

He sighed, stretched, and popped his knuckles…he needed a break…a tension headache had begun to form at the back of his brain because he had been straining his eyes, trying to read in the pitch dark…but he knew he had to keep reading.

Prior to becoming a Nephilim, Jamie had been a big dork and loved to read…he had learned at an early age, and he remembered that in 1rst grade he was in the A reading group (a prestigious honor for a six year old)…in fact, he was so good that the teacher…Jamie struggled to remember her name…made Jamie read the stories in front of his class as an example of good reading.

_God I was such a dork…wait…I still am…_

He smiled a bit at that memory…and tucked an arrant wisp of blonde hair behind his ear. He forced himself to keep looking at files…so far, he had been disappointed. The experiments proposed within were mainly menial ones…and they often ended up in failure.

Science was never something Jamie was good at…and the chemicals listed in the writings were ones that he was unfamiliar with.

"Hey Kyo?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you any good at science?"

"No why?"

"Nevermind!"

Jamie looked around at the room…he had spent so much time reading…that everything besides the papers appeared smudgy and blurry…he blinked several times, and began rubbing the back of his neck…and that's when he saw a light…a tiny one.

Curious, The Nephilim stood, and walked carefully towards it. It was easily to miss really, as it was buried under a mountain of paper work. Jamie callously, brushed the papers aside, and they landed on the floor in a muffled "THWAAP".

With the debris cleared he saw what the source was…it was a laptop! Dr. Abel's laptop…well probably not his only one, but a laptop just the same!

_And judging by the looks of things it's still on…_

Jamie cautiously opened it…and sure enough, the main desktop screen was portrayed…several programs were listed, and Jamie knew he didn't have time to check them all…however; something drew him towards an icon marked "Triumvarence"…his instincts told him that this was something of importance…and he was always a big believer in trusting his instincts.

He double clicked on it…and was immediately asked for a password.

"Damn…" He muttered.

Of course...everything was way too easy…Jamie sighed, he wasn't sure what he was going to do…until an icon popped up informing him that the program was running on a recordable CD.

He grinned and hit the copy button…he may not be able to read all this right away…but something like this would be a breeze for Julia to crack. Just then, Kyo came downstairs.

"Jamie! I just found this weird file and it's dated way back in February of 2000! It's from the 3rd tournament and it's got genetic information on every fighter who participated…and on Jin, Xiao, and Hwoarang it says 'possible candidate'." Kyo said.

"That's so weird…let's take it with us…I found this program…I don't know the password but I'm recording it onto a disk so Julia can-"

Suddenly, the door opened, and Dr. Abel stood in the threshold…Jamie had never seen him before, but he had heard fairly accurate descriptions…and they certainly did him justice.

He was an older man with a pinched, sour expression on his face…his lithe, hunched over frame was covered in a lab coat that smelled of formaldehyde and various other aromas that reminded Jamie of death and disease.

Like the labs he worked in, he gave off an aura of sterility and cold hearted cruelty…Jamie imagined that he treated people more as experiments then human beings…hopefully, Jamie's plan would work.

"Wh…wh…what are you two doing in here!" He barked angrily.

He stammered though…Jamie caught that.

"Jamie…" Kyo whispered, ready to leapt into action.

Jamie glanced up coolly and returned his gaze to the computer…the file was almost down downloading.

"I'm going through your files…Triumvarence huh? Now that's a word I've never heard outside of the SATs."

"You…you can't go through the passwords! I'll…I'll…" He reached for the phone on the wall across the room.

With Nephilim speed, Jamie reached the phone before the scientist could and ripped it out of the wall…he still had a look of cool indifference on his face.

"You'll do what? Y'know what I want?" Jamie asked…walking back towards his space near the computer. "All I want is to be in bed…or maybe by a roaring fire…reading a book with a tea cozy…" Kyo looked at Jamie strangely…as did Doctor Abel.

Jamie too, began to question the integrity of his rant…but it seemed to buy some time so he went with it. "I don't even know what a tea cozy is…but I want one…but y'know what I don't want? I don't want to have to deal with you, or Grey, or Lee, or Anna, or Heihachi FUCKING Mishima…but guess what? Since you people have decided to screw with me again I guess we'll keep this up until one of us are dead."

"You…you…won't live to see a victory this time Nephilim." Abel said with a cruel smirk.

"I'm sorry," Jamie pretended to be confused. "Would this be the apocalypse after you tried to have Devil kill me…or was this when you sent my vampire double after me? After so many failed attempts they all tend to run together."

The disk drive opened loudly, and Jamie grabbed the CD and placed it in a spare case laying next to the laptop.

"No…this time you'll be helping us!" Abel said with a smile.

"Doubtful…highly doubtful." Jamie responded, although he was thoroughly freaked out.

"So you think you've won…" Abel began…he reached into his lab pocket and pulled out a remote. "It's far from over."

"Jamie…" Kyo began.

The remote clicked…and sprinkler heads came down…and suddenly, yellow gas started to fill the area.

"Nerve gas…spend a minute in here and your insides turn to mush!"

"You…you BASTARD!" Jamie coughed.

"NO TIME! JAMIE RUN!" Kyo called.

Quickly, Kyo grabbed at Jamie and pulled him towards the windows…Jamie allowed himself to be lead…his senses were overloaded…and everything was spinning…his eyes stung as if they had been sprayed by kerosene and already, his insides felt as if they were being attacked by invisible, gaseous knives…the gas tasted acrid…and vaguely reminded Jamie of the anesthesia used by hospitals…all the more reason for the Nephilim to GET OUT!

Jamie had a phobia of hospitals…but perhaps the main thing that bothered him about them was the whole process of going into surgery…particularly the part when they put the mask on your face and make you go to sleep…

The very thought pumped a primal fear instinct in the Nephilim and everything else shut down…thank God Kyo was leading him out.

Jamie's mind went blank…but he was briefly aware that he was flying through the air…and the sound of shattering glass. And then…for an instant, through grainy, black and white he saw a castle under siege…and saw a young man with braids callously run a guard through with his sword…

The image promptly shifted as Jamie and Kyo landed on the balcony of an apartment about five floors down. Jamie was part angel, Kyo was part devil…so their bodies absorbed the impact with little complaints.

"Jamie…don't pass out now…I need you to jump again can you do that?" Kyo asked.

Through a fit of coughing Jamie nodded his head, and the two jumped again…this time landing on the cool, sweet, onion smelling grass of the park.

Kyo got up quickly enough…Jamie tried to, but staggered and coughed violently…before vomiting on the grass.

"Jamie…"

He spat and vomited again…this time his shoulders were heaving.

"Jamie…what's wrong are you okay?"

Jamie wretched a final time…and shakily stood.

"Aw what's the matter…someone not feeling too good?" A voice purred from the darkness.

"Who?" Kyo began.

"Lee…" Jamie muttered hoarsely.

He wasn't barfing anymore but his head was spinning and he still felt a little shaky…there was something in that nerve gas…something that Kyo didn't feel…but Jamie did…and if he survived this latest encounter then he'd look into it.

"I believe you have something of mine?" Lee asked stepping out from behind the trees.

"Uncle Lee…how…" Kyo began.

"Hell must've realized how much of a douche bag you are and sent you back up here…no worries…I'll kick your ass right back." Jamie wheezed.

"Not likely…you may have killed my vampire double but as for me…you'll find that I'm a lot more difficult." Lee began to run at the two.

Kyo dropped into a fighter's stance…while Jamie attempted too…but only wound up stooping on one side and having his arms hanging limply at his sides…despite all his willpower…he felt as if his limbs were incased in concrete.

Lee rushed at them and launched into a flying side kick…the blow was aimed at Jamie…and he knew it was going to hurt…and in his weakened state, possibly kill him.

And he was powerless to stop it…

And suddenly, the attack never came…and in Lee's place stood Jin. Jamie glanced over and found Lee sprawled on the grass. Kazuya, Hwoarang, and Billy stood off to the side.

"Get…out of here uncle…" Jin said through gritted teeth.

"This doesn't concern any of you! LEAVE US!" Lee spat.

"Hell to the no!" Billy said angrily.

"I'll KILL ALL OF YOU!"

Hwoarang snorted. "You can try…but I'd seriously doubt it."

"Best you leave brother…and send my regards to our father." Kazuya said with his arms crossed.

"You mess with one of us you mess with all of us!" Billy called as Lee slinked away.

"Jamie…you're the Nephilim, how many times do we have to save your ass?" Hwoarang joked.

"Guys…something's seriously wrong." Kyo said.

And that's all Jamie heard before he passed out.

Author's Note: Okay…I've noticed that Jamie hasn't done many Nephilim activities that we're all so fond of him doing…but don't worry, after this next round of fights he'll be back to the old Jamie we know and love! I hope you enjoy this chappie please read and REVIEW!


	14. Chapter 14: You're Invited

Chapter Fourteen: You're Invited!

Author's Note: Hey everyone…I'm going to apologize in advance if I make any glaring errors…this is my first chapter done on my laptop so if I mess up a word or two…I'm just not used to the keys yet LOL! Well, here's another chapter…I'm not quite sure exactly what's going to happen yet so…yeah…but first I'll do some shout outs!

Karisan: Hey! What's up? I love your story and I'm glad you can forgive me for Grey's…uh…situation…anyway, I hope that you like this chapter too!

Thundertxw: Hi! Glad that you enjoy my story…and yeah, I know that there are some screw ups and stuff but…y'know…I try my best! I like your stories too! And yes, Christie's one of my fave characters!

Astral Slayer Asuka: Hey…okay, I'm glad that you like this story and I'm glad that I haven't lost any readers! Thanks for being so understanding and stuff…hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Thee Slushee: Hi! Glad that you like this story and I love yours…I loved Xiao's memories and stuff that was really cool…makes me wanna go buy a panda…how much do they cost again? LOL!

DevilBilly: Hey…what up playa? Can't wait to read your latest chappie! Oh! And is your Blaze move Pop Your Collar? That's actually my fave move…in fact, it's such a favorite that it's going to be the name of one of Mina's moves!

Shadowsin: Hey computer trouble is a bitch and I hope that another chapter comes out pretty soon! All I can do is wish you some good luck and hope that your trouble fixes itself…OH! You can go to Best Buy…a friend of mine works with the Geek Squad (no joke…it's an actual company) and they help fix computers…or y'know…maybe a friend can help you out?

JunKing: Hey, I'm glad that you like my characters so much…except for Grey…but he's kinda cantankerous for a reason y'know?

Okay, I like Grey and all, but I'm ready to divert my attention a little bit! On with the story!

"Okay…open your mouth and say 'aaaaahhh'." Julia Chang instructed.

It was early afternoon the day after Jamie and Kyo's escapade in Doctor Abel's house. Jamie had just woken up about thirty minutes ago.

The matches for the day had been going on since eight this morning…everyone was off to the various arenas to face their destinies…for some, this meant a farewell to their dreams…farewell to their hopes and grudges…only to be rekindled next year…

Well, if they were invited that is…

Jamie wasn't fighting today…and he was taking full advantage of it. After the incident at Dr. Abel's, Jamie had passed out…when he awoke, he was greeted by Mina and Xiao…they jokingly told him that "Dr. Julia" would see him now…

So here he was, in the girl's room…sitting on the edge of Julia's bed, while the Native American Genius investigated the inner workings of his mouth with a tongue depressor.

"Aaaaaahhhh." Jamie said obediently, sticking his tongue out.

"Hm…" Julia began. "I'm noticing a swelling on the inner lining of the tracheal cavity…also, there appears to be abrasions located on the bronchial tendon of the-"

"Uh Jules?" Hwoarang asked, leaning against the wall.

"What is it Hwoarang?" She asked, a twinge of annoyance apparent in her tone.

"Can you explain in English…you've lost everyone in the room."

Through the depressor, Jamie began to gag.

"Oh…" Julia said in an astonished voice. "Sorry Jamie!"

She quickly pulled the depressor out of his mouth and Jamie continued to gag a bit.

"It means that he has a sore throat…didn't you pay attention in basic Physiology?" Jin asked contempously.

"Obviously not Kazama!" Hwoarang shot back.

"Guys!" Xiao began, quelling he argument as always. "Not really helping."

"It feels like I swallowed gasoline…" Jamie said hoarsely.

"That's what your throat looked like last night too…good news is, with your immune system and unique genome, you've done two weeks worth of healing in one night. You'll only get better throughout the day. By tomorrow you should be fine."

"Isn't that great Jamie?" Mina asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah…but those dreams…and visions…do you know what those were about?" Jamie croaked.

"We got the disk, and I began to look into it. That first password was easy enough to crack…but the Zaibatsu knows how to secure their disks…don't worry, I'll get it all sorted out, but it'll take a little while." Julia said with a proud smile.

"But what concerns me the most is that file that Kyo found," Jin began stepping forward.

"The one from the third Tournament?" Hwoarang asked.

"Yeah," Xiao began. "It freaks me that we were possible candidates…of what though?"

"Heihachi was successful in raising Ogre and killing a Nephilim…what else did he hope to accomplish?" Jin asked, thinking aloud.

"Wait…" Mina began. "Was that one Nephilim…Patrick right? Was he a candidate?"

"No…he wasn't…I haven't really had a chance to look into it, but from what I have seen…well…I think the past is going to come back and haunt us." Julia said, mulling the prospect over.

"Why can't we ever have a conversation that doesn't end with those fucking words!" Hwoarang whined.

"I always ask myself that same question…" Jamie murmured. "Anyway…I can't stay around here all day…I guess I'll get changed and…I don't know…train or something." He stood and stretched...wondering what to do with the rest of the day.

"Asuka's waiting for me downstairs…I wanted to spar with her for a bit today…it'd be nice to last a little while in the tournament y'know?" Mina asked nervously.

"That's cool…I'm going to head down to the hospital and analyze the slides I made of the bacteria in your throat Jamie." Julia said happily.

"Uh…knock yourself out…my body fluids are meant to be enjoyed by all!" He said with a grin…everyone looked at him strangely, and that's when he realized how odd it actually sounded. "…wait…that didn't come out right…hehe…" He finished with a nervous chuckle.

"Hey, where's your partner in crime?" Xiao asked with a grin towards Jamie.

"Kyo's match is in an hour…if you want to come watch?" Jin asked.

"Sure," Jamie shrugged. "It'll be a nice change of pace."

Last tournament, on the days he had off, he had spent them training, strategizing, or sleeping…he never really watched the other fights…not because he was a bad friend or anything, but because with Devil lurking around, there was always something that had to, or could be done to attempt to stop him.

Everyone went their separate ways…Jamie had walked back to his room to shower and change. When he emerged twenty minutes later, he was wearing a pair of slightly baggy, "painters" jeans and a grey t-shirt. The t-shirt had an elderly grandma and grandpa on it, they were looking through binoculars and pointing at something…the caption read:

"Neighborhood watch….we're gonna get you sucka's!"

He also wore a brown leather bracelet on his right arm, and his signature red hair tie on his left wrist. Quickly, he glanced at himself in the mirror.

_Not too bad Jamie…not bad at all…nice to know that you can pull yourself together after a ingesting a lethal dose of mustard gas…_

With that said, he walked out of the door and down the stairs where Jin and Hwoarang waited. As he walked out of the lobby, he said good-bye to Asuka and Mina, both decked out in their work out gear…

"You be careful lil' sista," Hwoarang called (he'd had a penchant lately, for calling Mina that for two reasons…one because they were both Korean, and two because of the streaks in her hair). "She's got a lot of rage!"

"Bite me Hwoarang!" Asuka called back contemptuously.

"And risk gum disease? No thanks!" Hwoarang answered.

"OH THAT'S IT!" Asuka began, stomping her foot in anger.

"Asuka…Asuka c'mon…we need to train remember!" Mina began, holding her back.

"Let her go Mina…I really would like to see that fight." Jin said with a grin.

"Save it for the tourney you guys…anyway, we're late right? When's Jeeves gonna bring the car around?" Jamie asked jokingly.

It worked…as it broke the tension, and Mina wisely pulled Asuka away before she and Hwoarang could do any more damage. As Mina and Asuka began to walk towards the main gym, Mina turned and glanced at Jamie.

"Thanks." She mouthed.

He winked at her…and once again, as lame as it sounded…her heart skipped a beat.

_God you're such a lame-o…get it together girl!_

She thought with a smile.

_New Scene…_

After an intense training session with Asuka, Mina suggested that they go to the pool…Asuka was happy to oblige.

The Mishima Hotel's pool was an indoor one…it was Olympic sized with a Jacuzzi off to the side…the pool was tiled in a beautiful mosaic at the bottom…the whole area was meant to look like a Greek temple…complete with columns and sparkling white tiles on the floor.

Tables and chairs flanked the area around the pool…the whole area was enclosed with clear glass…with several doors leading to tanning beds, an outside deck, and locker rooms. The area was deserted because it was so early in the afternoon, and the other competitors were off training or fighting.

"I hate Hwoarang…" Asuka muttered angrily as she draped a towel on a chair, and walked towards the water's edge.

"I wouldn't let it bother you so much…" Mina said.

Asuka had changed into a simple, one piece, blue suit. Mina wondered briefly if Asuka would think that she was a slut because the young Korean fighter was wearing a form fitting black bikini.

Mina loved bathing suits; she owned a bunch of them. Her favorite one was a red and white, floral printed bikini…she had brought it with her, but decided not to wear it. It was Jamie's favorite…and she wasn't going to wear it if he wasn't around.

She took off her sarong and laid it carefully against the chair next to Asuka's. Carefully, she stepped into the pool with Asuka. It felt cool and refreshing…especially after such an intense work out.

Mina had appreciated Asuka's offer to train with her…especially because she figured she'd needed it! Mina always thought she was a pretty decent fighter…she may not have been a Nephilim, but she certainly could take care of herself against vampires and other demons!

Still…Asuka had done a great job in humbling her.

"I know…but it just pisses me off y'know?" Asuka grumbled.

She went under the water, came up, and smoothed her wet hair away from her face.

"Hwoarang jokes around with everybody…I take it as a sign of friendship." Mina offered wisely.

She was up to her shoulders in the chlorinated water now…but she hadn't gotten used to it enough to were she dared to go underwater.

"I know…it's just…it's just that when I used to be in school I got picked on a lot and…" Asuka trailed off.

"Well, have you tried telling him? I'm sure he'll stop." Mina asked.

Finally, she went underwater and came up…the cold water shook the fatigue out of her almost immediately.

"That's why I train all the time…I got so sick of getting picked on that I just…dealt with it…y'know?" Asuka asked. "The more I train and the more I intimidate people the more people leave me alone!"

Mina was shocked…and her heart went out for her friend. True, Mina had never really been picked on before, but she was always nice to everyone and often times, stood up for the girls who had been frequently antagonized.

She didn't understand why people would pick on Asuka…she was very pretty, and thanks to her martial arts training, she'd built herself a very nice figure. However, when it got right down to it, Asuka was shy…and didn't talk much…maybe that tended to scare people away.

"Well, I'm your friend and I think your pretty cool…in fact, if you want…and I mean, I certainly am in no position to offer this, but, hey one day me, you, and the other girls will totally go out shopping! We'll get you a make over and we'll read Cosmo and…it'll be so much fun!" Mina offered with a smile.

"I don't know," Asuka said, beginning to weaken. "It sounds a little too girly for my tastes."

"Uh…Asuka…you are a girl! And by the way, what's up with you and one of my best friends?" Mina asked with a grin.

"Oh…Robbie…well…uh…" Asuka began, her face starting to redden.

Suddenly, the door opened and someone else began to walk into the pool area. Mina and Asuka turned to see Grey walk in.

He wore a black pair of swim trunks that had a snarling, coiled dragon snaking intricately around the fabric. His hair wasn't done in gel or glue today…it was all brushed to one side, covering his right eye…the back of his hair stuck garishly out behind his neck in tufts.

His bare, incredibly toned chest gleamed in the afternoon sun, and his shorts were hung somewhat low, revealing the various "muscle cuts" along his lower mid riff. He wore a necklace…one that Mina had seen him wear a lot…it clashed dramatically with the outfits that he wore.

It was black, and meant for girl's to wear…in cheap, pewter, metallic blocks, the name "Sarah" was etched…one letter for each block. Mina wondered briefly why he wore it…but soon, her curiosity was overridden by fear and worry for what he might be planning to do.

"Hello ladies." He said with a grin.

_Well hi Grey…_ Mina thought sarcastically.

She didn't know what he was planning, and Mina wasn't quite sure she wanted too either…

"Get lost asshole!" Asuka retorted.

"Go lick carpet!" Grey shot back in hostility.

"What do you want?" Mina asked.

She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing, but she found herself slowly getting out of the pool and walking towards him.

"Relax…if I wanted to do what you thought I wanted too, then you could tell by being dead already." Grey said with that eerily cheerful manner and tone.

"Okay…so make it quick. Tell me what you want and get out." Mina said with her arms folded.

"Just wanted to let you guys know that your friends won their fights today…oh, and I wanted to invite you to-"

"We're not interested." Asuka interrupted flatly.

"Oh," Grey began, a look of utter disappointment on his face. "But your uncle will be so disappointed."

"To what? I'm starting to get angry." Mina said.

"A pool party, at Lee's mansion this Saturday…" Grey said with a smile. "Hope to see you there…" He threw the invitations on the chairs that the girls had flung their possessions on. "But I gotta go though…I've got more of these invitations to pass out…peace out!"

Mina and Asuka watched him walk off before glancing down.

"All this trouble for a pool party?" Asuka asked, reading the letter.

"Something about this bothers me…let's go…we need to see who else got these!" Mina said with resolve.

Quickly, she tied her floral printed sarong around her waste, and put her flip flops on…Asuka followed her…and off they went to find the others.

Author's Note: Wuh oh…why is it that whenever I write a Mina chapter they tend to be so long? Oh well, I felt kind of bad that I tend to neglect Asuka so much so I hope that this chapter started to make up for it…next chapter, will feature some serious action and stuff! And believe me…you won't believe the lengths Grey will go to so he can make sure that everyone comes to Lee's party…all will be discovered next chappie! Hope you enjoyed this one!


	15. Chapter 15: Fair Warning

Chapter 14: Fair Warning

Author's Note: Hi everyone! Y'know…writing this story, I realized that I've been neglecting Jamie's vampire hunting mad skillz and stuff! Well, if you miss that stuff then look no further! This chapter will have some old school Nephilim action…and set the stage for yet another balls to the wall action chappie! What'll happen? Well read on and find out! Oh, but first, some shout outs!

Shadowsin: Hey, please don't apologize…I just hope that your computer trouble works out…have you tried saving your chapters on a disk and using a school computer? That's what I wound up doing when I got rid of my old comp…but hadn't plugged the internet onto my laptop so that might work? I can't wait to read your latest chappie and once it comes out everyone will probably be all like: OMG A NEW CHAPPIE FROM SHADOWSIN! Then they will proceed to do a happy dance around their computers…or is that me? LOL, anyway, thanks for your support and take your time!

DevilBilly: LOL you don't have to dedicate a chappie to me! But…if you insist…you could do a chappie that explains more of the Jamie and Billy rivalry…oh, or you can make some fights happen. Just suggestions, but you're doing a great job so far!

Thunderxtw: Why is it that whenever someone new reviews my stories I always embarrass myself somehow? I mean, in the last chapter, I misspelled your name and for that I'm really sorry…oh, and as for the Anna and Lee thing…you should totally check out my other Tekken stories! They've got a lot of the instances that lead up to this story.

Thee Slushee: Hey…answer to your question…some of the t-shirts that Jamie wears I in fact own…a lot of them though, I see in stores and stuff…funny thing really…whenever I need new outfits for my OC's I walk around the mall and look in stores they'd go to…like, I don't know if you have any of these where you are…but…hm…I get ideas for Jamie's clothes at like, Pacific Sunwear, or like Buckle…his style is more skater. Grey, I get ideas for his clothes at Hot Topic…and as for Mina, well for her she has sort of an eclectic mix of what's trendy and stuff! I base her outfits from stores like Aeropostale, or Pacific Sunwear, or Wet Seal or something.

Astral Slayer Asuka: Hey, I hope I did Asuka's character right!

Okay…phew…now it's on with the story!

"Heeeeerrrrrrreeeeee vampires, vampires, vampires, vampires…." Jamie Parker muttered in a voice similar to calling a dog.

He walked softly through the back alleys and streets of Tokyo. He wasn't exactly in stealth mode…he was actually walking fairly casually. His shoes crunched under the dew soaked grass and he tapped his wakashasi casually against his denim enclosed thigh.

It was somewhat chilly out tonight so he wore a fitted denim jacket as well…Jamie shivered somewhat, but continued his sojourn.

He really didn't want to be out here, but…

_Sacred duty and all that crap…_

Still, he stopped complaining immediately…after all, most people would kill to have the power and speed that he did…

"In fact," Jamie muttered with a grin. "Some people have tried to kill me for this power…and it's got it's uses too…I mean, look at all the jars I can open now…"

As he walked through the back alleys and streets he debated whether or not to call it an early evening. After all, he'd been out here for over three hours and it had been incredibly quiet…he hadn't run into any troubles at all…in fact, dare he say it? Jamie was actually sort of missing the action…the inherent hunter instinct in him a.k.a. the Nephilim side, hungered for the thrill of the hunt…and the rush of adrenaline…yet, the human side of him…the "Jamie Parker side" of him was cautiously optimistic.

After all…maybe…if he only had to deal with Heihachi Grey and Dr. Abel then it might not actually be so hard.

_Yeah right…you still have no idea what the hell they're planning…and it's only been two days into the tournament…a lot of shit is going to hit the fan before this is over…and you know that._

Jamie's conscience was whispering in the back of his mind…and he knew that it was right…it always was.

The Nephilim stopped for a minute and briefly wondered what he should do next. Jin and Xiao had invited him and the others to go out and celebrate Kyo, Billy, and Kaori's victories from earlier in the day. They were going out clubbing tonight, and it was already 10:15…he had said that he would meet them there after patrol…but he had been out here for awhile and still nothing had come after him or anyone else.

He hadn't realized it, but he was actually about five blocks away from the club he said he would meet the others…it was as if God himself was telling him that he didn't need to patrol anymore.

"Guess I'll call it a night…dirty dancing here I co-WHOA!" Jamie was interrupted as a deadly, ninja throwing star jettisoned through the air.

It whizzed by his face so closely that he could feel the air whoosh past him!

"Oh!" He said more in annoyance then shock.

Jamie whirled around quickly and unsheathed his Japanese dagger…he turned just in time to see three more stars coming at him. If he hadn't had his Nephilim speed he would've been sliced to ribbons…but at the last second, he managed to deflect them with his blade…

_Who threw those! No…no time…GET OUT NOW!_

Jamie listened to his instincts, turned, and busted Nephilim speed out of the alley and into another alleyway…Tokyo was a labyrinth of alleys and back streets, and Jamie hoped he could allude his pursuers…or at least put them at a severe disadvantage where he might gain the upper hand.

Still, the throwing stars whizzed towards him…and in utter dismay Jamie realized that he had hit a dead end…and in pure panic, he developed a plan…one he that would test every bit of his Nephilim strength…and if he failed…well…then he'd get a face full of crazy, ninja throwing stars…

He ran towards the wall…and in an instant, he found himself actually running…up the wall! However, even Nephilim powers were not going to be enough to slow the forces of gravity…thinking fast, Jamie leapt off the roof, just in time for three throwing stars to become embedded in the wall were he was a second ago.

While in the air he flipped and landed on the closest thing he could find…the side of the building to his left…he was about to slide off until he leapt onto the building to the right…he repeated the process until he was on the roof of the left building.

He panted in exhaustion as he clambered up the ledge and onto the roof.

"I…I made it…" Jamie muttered excitedly.

He wasn't able to celebrate too much longer before two figures immediately leapt onto the building…Jamie quickly whirled into a fighter's stance with his wakasashi at the ready…thinking that he was fighting vampires he was immediately surprised to find Yoshimitsu and his female counterpart Kunimitsu staring at him.

Yoshimitsu held his glowing, greet katana, and Kunimitsu, expressionless behind her unsettling fox mask, held her own dagger.

"Yoshimitsu-sama…why?" Jamie asked, (using the traditional rhetoric to address him) genuine shock apparent on his face…after all, Yoshimitsu was the like a Japanese Robin Hood…and his Manji party were like the Asian version of his Merry Men…despite his frightening appearance, Yoshimitsu was a good human/demon…Jamie, a person who's destiny was to kill demons genuinely liked him…what was going on?

"He has so much power it's almost frightening." Kunimitsu said. "Only a child, but a true Nephilim…is this the one we seek?"

"Yes…" Yoshimitsu said in his eerie voice. "He is the one who will bring about the fall of man."

"Wait…what?" Jamie asked. "You guys…I don't bring doomsday…I prevent it!"

"Your soul is strong oni-gurashima…but even you cannot stop yourself…it is not up to you…this pact has been made long before you took this form." Yoshimitu said.

"Took this form…I don't…I don't understand…" Jamie asked.

"Even if you left this tournament Heihachi would still find you and take advantage of your situation…in order to resurrect Him." Kunimitsu said.

"It is against our code to kill an oni-gurashima…but know this, even in the darkest of storms…the light always shines through…you may not be able to prevent this apocalypse from happening…but do not lose your heart Jamie-san." Yoshimitsu explained.

"All cannot be revealed now…but know that when it happens, we will help you…you survived our test…and are now a full fledged member of the Manji Party." Kunimitsu said formally bowing.

Jamie bowed deeply in response, and nervously tucked a strand of hair out of his eyes.

Yoshimitsu walked towards Jamie and handed him a simple necklace…it was tied with rope, and held a pewter slab with Japanese engraving on it.

"This is the symbol for light…wear it and you might not loose your soul entirely."

"Thanks…" Jamie responded, clutching the medallion tightly in his palm.

"The night is long oni-gurashima…the cats will be after the spilled milk soon…look closely over your friends tonight. Heihachi isn't all you need to fear…an ancient grudge binds you, the avatar, and the princess together..." Kunimitsu said.

"Hey; wait!" Jamie called as the two ninjas leapt off the roof.

He placed the medallion around his neck and watched the two disappear…even more thoroughly confused then ever…but they told him to watch his friends…because the…cats? Were coming…Jamie wasn't a big fan of riddles but he didn't need any prodding…he quickly headed to the club were the others were…the thoughts of the strange encounter still swirling in his mind.

Author's Note: Okay, hope you enjoyed this chapter…next one will answer Kuni's cryptic comment…thing…anyway, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Next chapter will feature more about Grey getting his invites out so I'll keep you posted! Thanks for reading PEACE OUT!


	16. Chapter 16: Get on the Dancefloor

Chapter 16: Get on the Dance Floor

Author's Note: Hi again everyone! MooNTeARZ is back with another chappie of Ties that Bind and I'm servin' it up extra special…with some hot sauce! LOL! Anyway, not much new is going on with me…but lets get some shout outs going!

Karisan: Hey…yeah, trouble does go looking for Jamie…all about being the Nephilim I suppose…anway, great job with your story and I promise that I won't keep you waiting long!

Thunderxtw: Hey…yeah, I guess your right, my chappie was a little short last time and I tried to remember not to rush…but for some reason, I guess I thought that I had written enough…on my laptop I had written about five pages…but I guess when it shows up on the actual website it doesn't look so long…it was kind of a hard chapter to write (don't ask me why…for some reason it just was) but I think I have a pretty clear idea where this chapter is going.

JunKing: Hey! Long time no see! What's up? Thanks for liking my stuff and I'm glad you enjoyed it…yeah I know, creepy and seemingly obscure riddles but hey, in the end it'll all work itself out!

Thee Slushee: Hey! Sorry that you don't have those stores in your neck of the woods…basically, Grey's kind of goth/emo, Jamie's skater/surfer, and Mina's is like hip hop dancer/ whatever's trendy at the moment!

DevilBilly: Hey again, yes pop your collar is my favorite def jam move…mainly because I like the title more then anything else…I'm trying to think, my fave characters are Sean Paul and Lil' Kim…I also like Flava Flav (he was really hard to beat) and Ludacris. Snoop Dog's character is pretty awesome too. I beat the story mode, but I rented it, so I didn't get all of the hidden characters.

Okay, now on with the story!

"See that girl over there?" Christie Monteiro asked the others as they sat at a table in the dance club.

The gang had danced for the past hour and a half and had decided to take a breather. Throbbing techno and haunting trance music echoed through the club as countless people danced.

The booths and tables were upstairs in a loft area so that the others could look down at the people below. Drinks were served all around, Jamie felt somewhat childish that he was drinking soda (orange Fanta to be precise) but that's when he realized that Mina, Kyo and Kaori were doing the same.

"What girl?" Xiao asked.

"Down there." Christie said, pointing to the center of the dance floor.

A girl was dancing with Forrest Law and several other equally admiring suitors. Her hair was as light as Jamie's own and hung in cascades of spun gold down her back. Her porcelain smooth skin and clear blue eyes glittered with excitement as she danced gracefully with the people around her.

She wore a rather form fitting white blouse and frilly, short skirt. Her dancing was smooth, elegant and perfectly in tune with the beats. She laughed happily as one of the guys whispered something in her ear.

"Who's she?" Xiaoyu asked.

"She's a new girl I think…I saw her come in yesterday." Julia replied.

"Yeah," Asuka snorted. "She brought about fifteen bags with her…the bellhops were about to kill her."

"They were Louis Vitton bags…the kind Jessica Simpson has." Mina said poignantly

"Her name's Lili I think." Steve said taking a sip of his vodka.

Christie whirled around and gave Steve her patented go to hell look.

"And how would you know that Steve?" She asked angrily.

"She asked me to help her with her bags and I did." Steve began, the color starting to drain from his face.

"Yo Steve! Don't back peddle!" Hwoarang exclaimed with a laugh.

"Hey mate, you helped her too!" Steve shouted.

"WHAT!" Julia asked, her anger flaring.

"Nice going asshole!" Hwoarang screamed.

"Hey…c'mon guys let's not fight!" Kaori said with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah…you wanna dance? Let's all go dancing!" Mina suggested quickly.

"Sounds awesome…c'mon guys." Kyosuke said helping Kaori up from the table.

"No…that's quite alright…I think after this latest revelation I think that Christie and I deserve a trip to the bar." Julia responded flatly.

"Right…let's go…and if that bitch so much as even looks at me I will smack some fashion sense into her ass!" Christie said angrily as she stood.

"This is better then any reality tv show." Billy snorted.

"Yeah, too bad the camera's don't record this kind of stuff." Jin said.

"Jin," Xiao began. "This is a fighting tournament! Not the Real World!"

"The Real World is so fake." Asuka said.

"And I'm glad that we don't have to go in that confessional…I'd run out of things to say." Kyo added.

"Yeah…when all those big dramatic fights happen I'd probably be in my room reading a book or something!" Jamie replied with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Mina chuckled. "It'd be all like," She faked a preppy voice. "Oh my God Kaori! I'm sooo pissed at you! I can't believe you ate my power bar!"

It got plenty of laughs and broke the tension a bit.

"And besides," Kaori began.

Suddenly, a crash broke through the club and the music was immediately cut short. Jamie heard telltale snarls of a creature that he knew all to well. Screams erupted in the club.

"What are they?"

"Some kind of gang and-"

"Jamie!" Mina whirled around.

"Let's go!" Jamie called.

He, Jin, Kyo and Billy, jumped down to the first floor, while Xiaoyu, Asuka, Mina and Kaori ran down the stairs.

Quickly, Jamie surveyed the surroundings…five vampires in the club…a freaked out crowd…and…

"Grey!" Jamie called.

"Hey Angel boy…come here often?" He asked with a wink.

He was standing behind the bar…that new girl, Lili stared at him…a shocked expression on her face.

"Hey sweetie…wanna party?" Grey asked.

And without further adieu, he grabbed Lili and ran out of the bar…leaving Jamie and the others to face the five snarling blood suckers…and that's when it hit him…Kunimitsu's riddle…the cats coming after the spilled milk…Jamie didn't have anymore time to think before the closest vampire ran at him.

(New Scene)

"What's the matter dumbass? Can't get up?" The vampire gloated.

The Nephilim's opponent was a huge vampire, who must have been a body builder in a previous life. One of the fleeing crowd members had accidentally been shoved into Jamie…the Nephilim hadn't had sufficient time to regain his balance before he was greeted to a full on punch in the face by his latest opponent. His hands were about the size of Jamie's head…and they looked like they could crush televisions.

_Talk about Iron Fist…_

Jamie found himself thinking. He had landed behind the bar, knocking over liquor bottles and glasses. Quickly, Jamie leapt up with the only weapon he could find…a broken bottle…

"I'd rather be a dumbass then a fatass!" Jamie retorted as he leapt over the bar and lunged at the vampire.

The creature was stunned at the Nephilim's sudden advance…and fell to the floor as Jamie slit it's throat with the makeshift weapon. It disintegrated into blue flame as soon as Jamie leapt off him.

"Jin! Hwoarang!" Jamie called.

A vampire brandishing a particularly nasty sword ran at Hwoarang…Hwoarang ran away and the creature gave immediate chase…Hwoarang ran to a wall, leapt off it, spun, and landed a punishing axe kick to the top of the vampire's skull…it cracked open like a walnut revealing it's brain mass…the creature's eyes rolled up and it blew away on holy flames.

"That was so…so…disgusting…and yet so cool at the same time." He said with a prideful grin.

The vampire near Jin didn't stand a chance against him…as he had been transformed from creature of the night, into resident punching bag. The creature exploded into azure flames once Jin punched through its chest cavity.

"Oh you drooled on my blouse…NOW YOU'RE GONNA GET IT!" Christie said with gritted teeth.

She unleashed a lightning fast spin kick and the demon spiraled backwards and into Julia's patented palm explosion attack. The creature screamed as it died

"Got one!" Christie crowed in triumph.

"I guess being angry can save lives!" Julia said as she adjusted her glasses.

"OOF." Mina grunted as she was kicked in the stomach.

"Mina!" Jamie called, he rushed towards her.

"No it's okay," She grunted…as she recoiled from the attack.

Quickly, she leapt into the air with a jumping snap kick…mostly to gain some distance…but she did manage to clock the vampire chick in the jaw with her tastefully stylish black heels. When she landed, she pulled out a vial of holy water from the pocket of her billowy, black Gaucho pants. She spun, and gracefully uncorked the vial and splashed the water on the creatures face…she screamed as she died.

"I got it!" She said with a smile.

Suddenly, three more vampires leapt through the crashed windows and snarled happily. By this time, Kyo, Kaori, Billy, Xiao, and Asuka had finished unlocking the exit doors…by this time, the crowd and staff had left the danger zone, leaving the other fighters with the rest of the demons.

"Hey kid," One of them with shaved head, tattoos, and leather pants asked Billy menacingly. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Don't call me a kid!" Billy snarled.

And suddenly, another battle began. Xiao and Asuka quickly went to work pummeling a vampire while Kyo and Billy did the same. The first two vampires were the standard breed…leather pants, sun glasses, strangely dyed hair…but the third looked somewhat different. He appeared stronger then other vampires…he had gray skin and his eyes were glazed over and shining…he smelled like a rotted corpse and didn't say anything.

In his experience, Jamie knew that the ones who never said anything were usually the most dangerous…instead; the creature roared and began charging. Kaori was about to run to her boyfriend's aid when she realized that she was in the horrible, mutant vampire's way!

"KAORI!" Kyo called.

No one could have gotten to her in time…for as Kyo said this, he was treated to a jumping spin kick in the face. Everyone stood in stunned silence…except for Jamie. Instead he ran towards his friend…who stared at her enemy like a mouse does when a cat is about to pounce.

Jamie pumped his legs as fast as he could…he was so driven in his goal that he screamed as he dove through the air…everything seemed to go in slow motion as he shoved Kaori out of the way…just in time to get body slammed by the monster.

"WWWAAAAAARRRGGGGGHHHH!" Jamie Parker screamed as he flew through the air and landed against the wall.

The vampire was strong…so strong in fact that Jamie felt as if he had been hit by a Mack truck. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion as he landed against the brick wall with a resounding smack. He felt an intense, burning pain in his right shoulder and arm.

"Damn…" He wheezed. "That bastard dislocated it…"

He staggered to his feet and blew several blonde tendrils of hair out of his face. The vampire began to advance on Mina, Kyo, and Kaori…they had run to Kaori's aide…Kyo might be able to survive a full on body slam…but the girl's wouldn't. Jamie clutched his shoulder…no time to fix it now.

"Hey," He called.

The vampire turned and stared at Jamie with it's creepy, glowing eyes.

"Yeah," Jamie breathed. "That's right, you wanna taste? Grade-A all American College boy…come and get it!" He finished with a cough.

Jamie wasn't sure if this vampire had any trace of humanity left within him…but he did pay enough attention in 9th grade biology to know that predators tended to separate the weak from the rest of the herd. Well, Jin and the others were tied up with the other vampires…and although the girls were weakened, Jamie had shattered the whole right side of his upper body…could barely stand, and had blood pouring out his nose and mouth.

The creature took the bait…which was good he supposed…now if only Jamie could find a place to run…quickly, he half limped, half stumbled near the dj booth…and the vampire came lumbering after him.

"JAMIE! THE BASEMENT!" Jin called as he snapped the neck of one of the vampire's.

Jamie nodded quickly and hobbled through the door…the stairs were creaky and wooden…and while Jamie had a good couple of feet on the vampire…it wouldn't take long for the homicidal monster to catch up.

"Heal dammit…HEAL!" He muttered as he hobbled down the stairs.

With every step, a fresh, shooting pain ran up his side…he clutched his wounded torso in an effort to staunch the pain, and keep his broken ribs from falling out of place…he breathed heavily, but couldn't seem to get enough air in…a sure sign that one of his lungs had ruptured.

_It'll heal though…it's gotta heal…just hold on a few minutes more…_

He was almost to the bottom of the stairs…it was a spiral stair case, with wooden bases for every couple of stairs…he was at the last base…one more and he'd…

Suddenly, his image of salvation was replaced with his pursuer standing directly in front of him! He had jumped down several landings!

"No way…no way…" He said in a panicked tone.

Instinctively, Jamie began to limp backwards…there was no way out…he stared in those cold, glazed over eyes and realized that they would be the last thing that he ever saw…when suddenly, his gaze averted to the bottom of the stairs…there was just a bit of an opening…if he could just dodge this last attack then maybe…

No time.

The mutant vampire lunged…using the last of his energy, Jamie dodged the attack and vaulted off the landing…he hit two of the stairs on the way down before falling roughly onto the hard concrete floor. Instead of grabbing the Nephilim, the creature had body slammed into the main support beam of the stairs…they gave a final tremble before crashing down…three flights of wood and plaster landed on the creature…who gave a muffled cry before dying.

"Watch that last step…" Jamie began as he slowly eased himself up. "It's a humdinger!" Carefully, he began to walk towards the exit…and out into the alley beyond.

He was already starting to heal when he found himself in the back…the smell of rotting garbage permeated the area…his friends all stood in the alley.

"Jamie!" Hwoarang began.

"We waited for you to come…where's that psycho vampire?" Xiao asked.

"Dead…" Jamie wheezed. "He didn't watch his step."

"Are you alright? You look seriously injured." Julia began…ever the caring physician.

"Man, I could've taken that sucka' on!" Billy retorted.

"Are you okay to fight Jamie…please, rest for a bit…we can go after Grey and you can meet us later." Mina said, concern apparent in her voice.

"You know I can't do that Mina…I'll be fine and wait…what?" Jamie immediately perked up. "Where's Grey…and Lili right?"

"Do we really have to save that slut bag?" Christie asked.

"That slut bag comes from a very important family Christie," Asuka wisely began. "If Grey kills her then there's no telling how much unwanted attention we'll all get."

"Yeah, and don't forget…I can't let her die 'cuz it's my calling and all." Jamie said.

"So…where do you think Grey took her?" Kyo asked.

Jamie looked around. "Well…no trail of breadcrumbs…but I'm guessing that Grey and his blood buddies went to the graveyard." Jamie said…the rush of adrenaline seemed to help him heal a bit.

"Right…then that's where were going." Jin said with resolve. "I'm going to call father…and tell him that's where to meet us."

"So we're splitting up then?" Steve asked.

"No…no this time we're going to stick together." Jamie said.

"Right…so graveyard it is then…hoo-ray…I mean, we haven't been there in a whole two days." Hwoarang said sarcastically as they walked.

Jamie, stayed behind everyone else…so he could heal a bit…ten minutes later he was well enough to walk normally…in another five minutes he felt bruised…but not broken.

"Jamie…are you okay?" Kaori asked, concern in her voice. "I'm so sorry…I should've been more careful and-"

"No," Jamie turned and smiled. "Are you okay?"

"Yes…I mean…yeah…I'm fine."

"Jamie, thanks for your help…I'm sorry I couldn't do anything…if anything happened to Kaori…" Kyo didn't finish.

"I know…and you did enough…you took out those other vamps for me…and besides, you're a great friend…y'know? And friends help each other." He finished with a smile.

"Y'know…it's kind of funny…this tournament is all about pain and suffering and misery and stuff…and I come here and I find…family…friends…adventure…true love…" He gestured towards Kaori, who had taken to chatting with Mina and Asuka.

"You always find friends in the last place you look." Jamie said wisely. "Miserable things tend to happen in life…but if you're lucky enough to find people to share that misery with…then those feelings of unhappiness turn into true happiness."

Kyo cocked his head. "That's deep…did you think that up all by yourself?"

"Some of it," Jamie grinned. "The other half I got from a fortune cookie…basically, we've got this old American saying…Misery loves company…y'know? But with you guys backing me…it doesn't seem so lonely…" He finished on a serious note.

Author's Note: Okay, sorry to just end this but I didn't know how else to do that and I'm exhausted…it's 1 in the morning here and I have a class at nine…but anyway, I tried to take my time but this was actually a tough chappie to write! Anyway, hope you enjoyed and PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	17. Chapter 17: Desperate Times

Chapter Seventeen: Desperate Times

Author's Note: Hey everyone! MooNTeARZ is back again with another chapter…wow, how many times have I used that one…anyway, not much is new here how is everyone else doing?

Astral Slayer Asuka: Hey! It's not that I dislike Lili…I don't know much about her, but I saw pictures of her and stuff read her bio and I'm just going by what I believe she would be like. Did I portray Asuka right?

Thee Slushee: Sorry if I didn't explain Kunimitsu right…when the cats go after the spilled milk was meant to be kinda like the vampires going after all the people in the club…because, after all, it's like an all you can eat buffet I suppose…

Thunderxtw: Hi! I'm glad that you liked my latest chappie because I really liked yours! I'm trying not to rush my chapters and so far, I think I'm doing okay.

JunKing: I know right? That one vamp did look like it was going to swallow Jamie whole…that was pretty intense wasn't it? I can't wait to read your latest chapter because your story is awesome!

Karisan: Hey! Thanks for your latest review! You saw Advent Children huh? That's cool…I've never played Final Fantasy VII but I heard that it's like, one of the best video games ever made or something I should play it sometime I guess…oh and if Namco likes to add so many new characters then why don't they add any of our awesome characters?

DevilBilly: Hey, yeppers, neck snappin' action! Hope you enjoy this latest chapter and when I get a chance I'll fill out that Def Jam fan club thing…anyway, I can't wait to read your latest chapter so update fast!

"Oof…ugh…Where the HELL are you taking me?" Lili asked in a voice akin to addressing a housemaid as she was lead roughly by Grey's hand.

"Sorry honey…you're being used as bait."

"WHAT! My father is one of the most influential men in Monaco! If you do anything to me he'll…" Lili got herself worked into a fury…and eventually, she was on the brink of tears. "Please…if it's money you want I'll give it to you…just don't hurt me please…PLEASE?"

The girl's scared voice echoed through Grey's mind…and somewhere, deep, deep in the corners of his brain the voice caused a twinge of guilt in his subconscious. As Grey led her fiercely through the alleys towards the graveyard his face…once a mask of glacial cruelty twinged into a glance of pity…and a part of him didn't want to do this anymore.

"Um…" Grey began, his voice cracking a bit. "You've got the Iron Fist's resident super hero and his wacky pals trailing me…he'll save you in time." Grey chuckled lightly. "And hey, he'll probably smack me around pretty good while he's at it."

Grey didn't notice, but Lili managed to see the look on his face…and she went quiet and limp…she had no idea what was going on…but somehow…she didn't feel so much contempt for her captor any longer.

The cemetery gates loomed ahead…the long part of Grey's raven's feather dark hair flapped in the breeze showing his brown, eyeliner traced doe eyes. His two, snarling companions…Lili didn't know what was wrong with them exactly…maybe they were drug pushers or something…opened the gates for them, and once they walked in, a tall, imposing man stood with his arms folded.

"Dragunov…right?" Grey asked.

"That is me." He said in a gravelly voice.

"Heihachi said you know how to make things a little…interesting right?"

He nodded. "For a price, which your boss has already taken care of…don't worry, I'll be sure to keep them entertained."

"I want the others distracted…but I want the Nephilim to come to me." Grey said. "After all, it can't be a party unless we invite him!"

_New Scene…_

The cemetery gates opened with a loud creek…and swung all the way open. The group walked inside…standing a few feet inside was Kazuya…he wore a pair of pinstripe pants and a golf shirt…slung across his back was a bag which Jamie could only guess held weapons in it.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you all to show up." He said as he placed the bag on the ground.

"Sorry…we had to stop at a few cemeteries before Jamie's 'Angel Instincts' picked the right one." Billy scoffed.

"Hey! We only had to stop at three…out of how many are there in Tokyo!" Jamie retorted.

"We don't have time for this you guys…we need to save Lili!" Jin said; then he glanced at Julia and Christie. "Despite what others might think of her."

Kazuya began to hand out weapons…he had brought enough for a small army…and with all the edge weapons going around, Jamie thought jokingly that he and the others were getting ready for The Crusades or something. The Nephilim settled on a medium length sword and a crossbow…before slinging the quiver of arrows behind his back, he reached into his pocket and uncorked two bottles of holy water before dumping the contents all over the arrows.

Everyone but Mina looked at him strangely.

"It's like sending an arrow full of acid in a vampire's chest." Jamie explained in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

The comment was met by a series of "oh's"

"Okay…I'm not exactly familiar with this cemetery…is anyone?" Jamie asked.

"Mother is buried here…" Kyo said softly.

Jamie was about to say something like; "Great! Then you can take point and lead us around!" But caught himself from making a huge faux pas…finally, when he thought that the timing was right he gently asked the question.

"Kyo…Jin…Asuka…Billy…Kazuya…if you don't mind…would you be the navigators?"

He was met by a round of "yes's"

The rest of the trip through the cemetery was rather uneventful at first…the cemetery held a certain calm quietness to it…the tombs stood straight in the sky like Egyptian obelisks… the night sky smelled of a combination of rain and the heady stench of incense. Jamie never liked the smell of incense…it's heavy, perfumed odor reminded him too much of his parent's funerals.

"It seems awfully quiet…" Xiao said nervously.

"Your mother's grave is in the center of the yard…we should head there…I have a feeling that Grey might be heading there."

"I feel it…" Jin answered.

"I don't like cemeteries…" Christie began, wrapping herself in Steve's embrace.

"Don't worry kitten, you're number one champion will keep you safe…" Steve said, kissing her forehead.

"I'm still mad at you…" Christie said in a whisper.

"Whatever's out there…we'll take care of it." Julia said with resolve. "In fact, I have a feeling that if we were going to run into any trouble we would've done so already." She finished logically.

"Don't speak so soon!" A voice called from the top of a mausoleum.

"What the fu-" Hwoarang began.

Quickly, everyone dropped into their fighter's stance and glanced in the direction of the voice…it sounded cold, devoid of emotion…and carried a hint of a Russian accent. Jamie was the first to glance up…the man looked like G.I Joe's gothic second cousin. He had jet black hair, and wore a black outfit that reminded Jamie of a goth version of army fatigues.

His skin was pale and he stared at the group coldly.

"Well…look at you…you look like you've been beaten with a whole tree full of ugly sticks!" Jamie said good naturedly with his hands on his hips.

"Joke all you like Nephilim…but I'll be the one laughing when you are being eaten alive!"

"Who are you?" Jin asked.

"If any of you survive then you'll see me in the tournament."

"Can't wait!" Kyo said sarcastically. "You seem like you're a great person to hang around with."

"What are you going to do?" Kaori asked.

"Top secret Mishima Zaibatsu project UDS…also known as Undead Soldier…a toxin made for top secret military use. It is a nerve gas that reanimates dead cells in the deceased. The project was deemed a failure when it was discovered that the dead were too stupid to perform even the most menial attacks."

"Those are zombies for ya," Jamie began with a snort. "Always thinking with their stomachs."

"Still," The man said. "It is a fun little toy to experiment with," He reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote. "So I've taken the liberty of installing the gas into the sprinkler system…my gift to you all."

The man pressed the button with great flourish and suddenly, the lawn's sprinkler system came up from the ground and instead of spewing water, it let loose a strange smelling greenish gas.

"Jamie! What!" Mina asked.

Suddenly, the earth below shook and rumbled…bony…flesh tattered arms shot from the ground and slowly…gave way to putrid smelling corpses.

"Oh my…" Asuka gasped as she stumbled backwards in shock.

"Stay calm you guys…" Jamie said nervously.

The mysterious man had long since disappeared leaving shambling…walking corpses in his wake. They moaned hungrily and reached with cold, clammy, dead fingers towards the group. Some of the corpses were freshly buried…while others were mere skeletons with tatters of clothes and flesh on them.

Jamie and Mina had dealt with zombies before…they were very much like ants. They were slow, dumb, and rotted enough that a few well placed, hard punches or kicks to the head or the rib cage would dispose of them…the only problem with zombies was the fact that they tended to travel in groups…and it only took one well placed swipe or bite to knock you down, before they all swarmed on you like a fleet of fire ants.

Many a Nephilim had died from zombies…fortunately; there is a way to take them out permanently…

"What are we going to do?" Kaori moaned.

"Shut off the gas and we shut them down!" Jamie called as he snapped one of their necks.

"Wait a sec…this stuff is rigged around the whole graveyard right?" Billy asked as he snap kicked the head off one of the ghouls.

"Then…mother will…" Kyo began, putting the pieces of the macabre puzzle together.

"NO!" Jin screamed.

"We've gotta take that guy out! Take him out, take out this gas." Asuka said.

"But the gates! We can't let these zombies start roaming the city!" Julia protested.

"Steve and I will stay…you girls figure out a way to shut down the sprinkler system…Jamie, you go find Grey…and Kazama," Hwoarang turned to Jin. "Baek's buried here too…you'd better get rid of that sick fuck fast!"

Plans were made quickly, and everybody went off to fulfill them…as Jamie ran, he hoped for his friend's sake…that their loved ones hadn't risen…if that happened then someone would die tonight…and it would most likely be Grey…

Author's Note: Sorry everyone…I know it's been a long time and this chapter is a little short but I've had a very busy couple of days…I've had a lot of projects due, and I'm learning how to work a cash register at one of my jobs…and I'm also learning all about beer and alcohol so I can legally sell it for my other job…so it's going to be a very busy week and stuff…I'll update again pretty fast, but so far, this is all I got, so I hope you enjoy it.


	18. Chapter 18: Have Faith

Chapter Eighteen: Race Against Time

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm back and am now legally certified to sell beer and alcohol in the USA! So that's pretty awesome! Oh, and sorry for the late update, but my internet connection is down at the moment so bear with me please! Oh, and don't worry, next chapter will have another round of fighting! Oh, and shadowsin, bro, I'm so sorry I didn't respond to your last review…but this whole computer trouble must be spreading around like a dirty STD at my old highschool…anyway, that's so awesome that you're getting a new computer! I'm so happy for you! And I'm sure that everyone can't wait for your next chapter cuz I know I can't!

Karisan: Hey, great story! Thanks for the review and I hope that you like this one!

JunKing: Ugh…yeah…the dead are disgusting…let's hope that Jamie and the others take them out in time!

Thunderxtw: I know that this isn't what you expected this will actually be the last appearance of the zombies LOL anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! Yeah…honestly, in the battle of good and evil I really don't see Christie or Steve getting too serious even though they're my fave. Characters!

DevilBilly: Hey! Thanks for your review! What's up with you?

Astral Slayer Asuka: My friend Gabby has Chaos Bleeds I've actually never played it…she gave me the idea for this chappie so I didn't know that was one of the levels…I'm gonna have to borrow that game from her…I played the x-box Buffy game…the first one I think…I liked it!

_Gotta shut the gas off…gotta shut the gas off…gotta shut the gas off…_

Kim Sueng Mina's thoughts flashed wildly through her sub conscious as she, Julia, Christie, Kaori and Xiao, dashed passed the headstones and shambling monsters.

"Okay…so where's the shut off valve?" Christie asked in a frantic tone.

"My guess would be that it's near the generators." Julia answered.

"Right…so where are they?" Xiao asked.

"We'll just have to keep looking until we find them I guess…" Mina said with a sigh.

"We'd better hurry though…we can't let Kyo's mother come back…" Kaori said with a shudder. "I don't know what I'd do if I was in the same situation."

"Okay…think Julia think…" Julia muttered.

They stuck to walking behind graves and mausoleums…the zombies were shambling along the dirt trail…and there were way too many to fight, but if they kept quiet, the undead wouldn't notice them. Besides, their mission was to be as discreet as possible…with the Mishima-Kazama's hunting Dragonuv down, Jamie tracking Grey and Lili, and Steve and Hwoarang guarding the gates, the girl's couldn't be bothered with pointless fights.

Mina didn't feel like she was bragging when she thought that she and the other girls had one of the more important missions.

"Okay…think Julia…think…" Julia continued.

Mina turned and glanced at the trail to her left and shuddered…some of the dead stood still…unblinking eyes gazing emptily at the moon as if they had never seen it before. They gurgled or moaned quietly before continuing their grim pilgrimage towards the gates. Suddenly, a sharp crack was heard…and a loud curse from Christie. To her horror, Mina realized that the fetching, Capoeira master had stepped on a dry branch!

The deafening snap echoed through the trees, and the zombies immediately turned and their gaze immediately shifted to the girls.

"SHIT!" Mina cursed.

"What're we gonna do! What're we gonna do!" Kaori stammered.

"What we need to…fight!" Came Xiao's honest answer.

The cold, undead fingers clambered at the girls…and although Mina was disgusted she managed to gain her composure and fight. Xiao, all tricked out with her Hakke Ken let loose a flurry of kicks and punches…and in no time at all had taken out three of the creatures. Julia and Kaori had been cornered by four of the walking dead but seemed to be doing alright…this left Mina and Christie together to take out the remainder of their pursuers.

They groaned hungrily as they lunged at the two…Christie had managed to take out the shins and kneecaps of three of them…but that didn't stop them from crawling towards her.

"Ugh…JUST DIE ALREADY!" Christie said in an annoyed tone before squashing the creature's skull in with her expensive heels. "God, the things I do for the world…these shoes were soooo cute!" She wailed.

"A shovel!" Mina said happily as she snatched for it. "Who said diamonds were a girl's best friend?" She asked.

Holding it as if it were a baseball bat, Mina flung all her weight into swinging it through the brittle necks of three zombies…without heads to function with, the zombies disintegrated in a cloud of dirt, bone a gristle.

"Oh…that was disgusting…" Julia said.

"We don't have anymore time you guys…we need to get going!" Xiaoyu said firmly.

"Okay…good idea lets-" Mina didn't finish before a rotted hand shot from an open grave and snatched for her ankle. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed.

"MINA!" Everyone called.

Everything happened in a blur…caught off guard, and because she was wearing heels, Mina didn't have time to get out of the dead hand's vice grip…she shuddered when she realized that the hand was completely stripped of flesh…suddenly, she was thrown off her feet, and dragged down into the ground.

_This is it…I'm dead…_

The dirt fell into her hair and face…but didn't obstruct her view of the glazed over, cataract infested eyes that stared at her…running on pure panic, she found herself in an open, rotting, wet coffin…she was vaguely aware that she kept screaming…and struggling in the creature's grip…but she heard something else…a low, dull creaking noise…and suddenly, the wet, linen and wood bottom of the coffin gave way…and Mina and the zombie fell.

As they plummeted, Mina noticed cold, pipes and cement floors…she didn't notice much else when she landed. She survived the fall with only a few bruises, and a headache…her undead companion exploded…quickly, she got up, and scooted backwards with her feet and hands until she had backed into a steel pipe.

"Okay…good…not dead…not hurt…get to live another day…" She breathed…then looked dismayed at her foot…one of her heels had snapped off. "Oh…these were really cute too…guess that's the price I pay for wearin' five incher's to fight demons." Mina brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes she stared straight ahead letting her eyes adjust to the darkness.

A smile slowly began to creep across her face as she saw it…the generator right in front of her…and…a switch for the sprinkler system!

"MINAAAAA!" Kaori called.

"Oh crap," She muttered. "I'm here you guys!" She called up.

"Are you hurt? Can you move your arms and legs!" Julia called.

"Yeah…never better! Now let me shut off this bastard gas, and see who I can talk too about getting out of here!" She said triumphantly.

_New Scene…_

"Oh Goddammit!" Billy Kazama screamed as a zombie slashed at his arm.

The actual attack could have seriously injured him, but by blocking it, he had only been minorly scratched. Angrily, he decked the creature across the face…knocking it's jaw off, before elbowing the rest of it's head off.

"Cool…it's kinda like a punching bag."

"Yeah, except with claws and an insatiable appetite." Kyo said sarcastically to his cousin.

"So basically, it's Asuka when it's the time of the mon-"

"SHUT IT BILLY!" Came Asuka's brusque reply.

"What's taking Xiao and the other's so long…we're at mother's grave…but the zombies keep coming." Jin wondered.

"If it comes to your mother rising…" Kazuya began.

He didn't finish before two wrought iron gates busted open and two vampires and Dragonuv appeared.

"Just wait patiently and it will come to that." He said with a smile.

"I'LL…I'LL…I'LL KILL YOU!" Jin exclaimed, lunging towards Dragonuv.

A fight broke out, but with a legion of zombies, an accomplished fighter, and two strong vampires…the family was vastly outnumbered. Each second ticked by, and with each one, Kyo's heart thudded madly in his chest, and he couldn't help but stare at his mother's grave.

He waited with baited breath for his mother to rise…and he realized that if it came to it…he secretly hoped that Jin or Kazuya would handle it…he…he couldn't…

_No…no stop it Kyo…Kaori will take care of this…have faith…you need to have faith…_

And suddenly, he was treated to a roundhouse kick to the temple by one of the vampires. He wheeled around quickly, and saw that Asuka was being grabbed by one of the vampires.

"ASUKAAAAAHHHH!" Kyo wailed.

"Shut it kid!" The creature snarled, as he picked Kyo up.

And with the others dealing with Dragonuv and the zombies…no one had time to worry about him and Asuka…and suddenly, before he knew it would all be over soon…his super sensitive ears picked up the sound of a crossbow arrow whistling through the air…and into the heart of the vampire who held him…as it exploded into blue flames, a second arrow shot through the sky and hit the one who held Asuka.

Kyo quickly turned to see Jamie standing atop one of the many mausoleums. He held the crossbow in one hand and still held it aimed where Asuka's vampire had been. The wind had picked up and blew blonde tendrils across his face. His jean jacket whipped silently through the sky and his eyes stared down at the scene.

For a second, with his serious expression, and classic, moonlight backdrop behind him, Kyo thought that Jamie looked seriously like the warrior he was supposed to be.

"Thanks!" Kyo called, before joining in the fight with Dragonuv.

"Welcome!" Jamie called back with a smile…and gone was warrior Jamie…replaced with regular 19 year old that Kyo had befriended. "Need help?"

"Nah we're cool!"

"'Kay! See ya later!" And with that the Nephilim leapt through the air, to fulfill his end of the mission.

As soon as Jamie left Kazuya kicked Dragonuv hard…so hard in fact that the remote control he had used fell from him jacket pocket…and into Kyo's waiting hand.

"NO!" Dragonuv screamed.

"Oops…" Kyo said as he dropped it to the ground and stomped on it. "Guess you won't be raising the dead anytime soon."

"This…this isn't over…" Dragonuv said.

"Insert villain cliché here." Asuka countered.

"Tell my father that he'll have to try harder then this if he wants to take me down." Kazuya stated.

Dragonuv didn't say anything else as he leapt over the wall.

"So…mother won't rise." Jin said with a sigh of relief.

"It's not over yet…we need to be the clean up crew." Kazuya replied.

"What about Jamie?" Asuka queried.

"Screw him…he's half angel he'll be fine." Billy replied.

"He'll be alright…after all, he's got that sweet crossbow." Kyo agreed.

_New Scene…_

"Ah…dammit" Jamie groaned angrily as he dashed passed several of the mausoleums…his crossbow had jammed! For some reason, the string had snapped and the trigger was stuck.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELP ME!" A voice screamed.

"Calvary's coming!" Jamie called back as he ran towards the noise. "Don't know why the cavalry has to tramp through a graveyard…but the cavalry is coming." He finished in a softer note.

The voice came from a mausoleum at the end of a cul de sac…Jamie ran towards it and kicked down the door. Standing in the center of the tiny room stood Grey and the terrified Lili; her already pale skin awash with fear.

"I don't know what he wants but-"

"I told you to shut it bitch!" He said angrily before he threw her roughly against the concrete wall…and Lili sunk against the wall in a daze.

"Hey!" Jamie said. "You should NOT have done that!"

"Why?" Grey asked. "You barely know her…hell I don't know her and I don't give a shit."

"So…what's the motive for this little outing? I'd think that it would be a plot to lead me into a trap that failed miserably…but…my second guess is that this is all a desperate cry for attention right?" Jamie asked.

"Neither," Grey said with a smirk, his two lip rings glinted in the pale moonlight. "I just wanted to make sure that you'd come to my party on Saturday."

"Really? That's it huh?"

"Don't be so surprised…I've invited everyone at the tournament."

"And I'm so special that you had to deliver my invitation in person huh? Y'know, I'd think that with those six holes in your face more oxygen would flow into the brain and make you smarter…but I guess when those holes are clogged with pieces of sharp metal…" Jamie trailed off.

"I guess we'll see."

Quickly, Grey dropped into his fighter's stance and lunged at Jamie…the Nephilim dodged as many of the attacks as he could, and even dished a few out of his own…he faked a low kick to the shins, which Grey blocked…leaving his head open…with Nephilim speed, Jamie picked up the leg he faked with, and focused all his strength in kicking Grey in the temple.

When the attack connected, Jamie had visions of Grey's brain exploding in his head…or shattering his skull like an egg…instead it only stunned the young emo kid.

"Is…is that all you got?" Grey choked.

"Nah, I got this too," Jamie cocked the crossbow and attempted to fire…he hoped that it would have been one of those moments in all the movies and comic books where miraculously an arrow would have fired…more specifically in Grey's face…instead, it didn't work, and rather then Grey getting a faceful of arrow…instead, Jamie got a faceful of steel toed combat boot.

Jamie fell to the floor.

"So, did I break your jaw?"

"Nope." Jamie said as he leapt up.

"Damn…I was hoping to shut your motor mouth off for a little while." Grey said as he attempted to punch Jamie.

"Not gonna happen!" Jamie blocked the punch, and smacked Grey in the face with the crossbow.

While Grey reeled from the blow, Jamie did a lightning fast 360 spin, and hit Grey in the jaw with his outside crescent kick. Grey stumbled backwards spitting out a tooth and blood. Jamie flashed a grin.

"That's how you break a jaw buddy."

Grey spat some more blood and glared at Jamie angrily. "Take your fucking invitation…this isn't over between us…I will KILL you for what you did!" He said through his fractured mouth, he reached in his pocket and chucked the envelope on the floor.

The mausoleum had an iron gate…he opened it and ran through…Jamie was going to follow him, but ran immediately to where Lili lay.

"Oooohhh…" She moaned.

"Hey," Jamie said soothingly, he checked her over, and realized that she wasn't seriously wounded. "You're gonna be okay…can you stand?"

"I…I think so…" She stood shakily and brushed off her outfit. "Did that street trash realize how expensive this outfit was! My shoes and my skirt are absolutely ruined!"

"Well," Jamie chuckled. "He'll pay for his awful crimes don't worry…hey, you wanna come with me and my friends? We'll make sure you get home alright."

"Thanks," Lili laughed haughtily. "But I really don't think that my kind hangs out with the likes of you…I've partied with Paris and Nikki Hilton! I've dated heirs to shipping empires, and hot actors! I don't really plan on lowering myself to your standards."

"Hey," Jamie said defensively. "I don't normally throw this around but I'm Jamie Parker…my brother's Justin Parker, the famous international skateboarder, and he dated Paris Hilton, those were the craziest three days I've seen in awhile."

"Oh," Lili scoffed. "Okay." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, thanks for saving me, but I can take care of myself."

"Yeah well," Jamie said with a smile. "If…stuff like this happens again…I'm always around…"

"Yeah thanks," Lili said as she walked outside with dwindling interest. "Thanks again for your help Jimmy."

"It's Jamie!" Jamie called back.

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to write this…but I've been taking a lot of work classes and a few projects to do…and my internet connection was sucky here lately…but I do hope you enjoyed this chapter…sorry I couldn't resist giving Jamie one of those cliché hero poses…and actually, despite what I write, I like Lili a lot I figure she's like, the Tekken version of the Mean Girls…anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chappie! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	19. Chapter 19: Across the Ages

Chapter Nineteen: Across the Ages.

Author's Note: Hey you guys! What's up? Not much here…hey, remember Grey's creepy dream…and that Aeon guy? And the mysterious princess? I know Thee Slushee has been wondering who that princess might be…well, here's another chappie devoted to this mysterious time period! Enjoy! Oh, and next chapter will have a bunch more fights so stay tuned!

Thee Slushee: Y'know…you're getting heaps and heaps of good reviews because your story is totally awesome! I really do enjoy it, and Asuka's not even my favorite character LOL! Great job, and in this chapter, you get to find out who the princess will be! Oh, and by the way, don't worry about the NZ thing…after all, I'm American and unfortunately, a lot of things I write about and a lot of the humor is American too…so, believe me, you're doing fine!

Karisan: Hey, yeah it is good that Jun didn't rise from the dead…that would have really sucked. I'm so glad that you liked this chapter and I hope that you enjoy this one too!

JunKing: Hi! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the latest chapter, and I'm glad to know that everyone is happy to know that Jun did not rise again, anyway, thank you for the nice review and I hope that you enjoy this one! Oh, and I got the idea for Lili because I was watching this movie with one of my friend's who's a girl (the movie was Mean Girls) and I just thought that Lili would be one of them…so, yeah, she's insensitive but whatever!

Thunderxtw: Yes…flashbacks of resident evil…but apparently, in four they don't have zombies anymore…I don't have a GameCube so I haven't played that one yet…Leon's my favorite guy from the series…but my all time favorite Resident Evil character is, hands down, Claire…I hope she'll be in Resident Evil 5 or whatever anyway, I'm glad that you enjoyed this chapter! At first, it was really slow to write, but once I started with a different outlook, it was actually a lot of fun to write…I think that writing action scenes are my favorites. Oh, and by the way…what is Lili's story anyway? I'm kinda curious…

Okay, now, on with the story! Oh, and this part of the story, as the title suggests takes place like, thousands of years ago and stuff! So…enjoy!

Princess Konohana stared out of her palace walls in dismay at the ruins of her once proud city and felt an overwhelming sadness grip her. She clutched the stone walls tightly and saw the carnage below. The invading army had started fires now, and the heat was coming off her face in waves. A tear slid down her pretty face and she watched it stain the walls of her palace.

"Princess…" A voice called from behind her.

She sighed and turned, her crimson silk, Oriental dress swished lightly on the stone floors. One of the guards stood with her…her personal body guard to be exact. He was a tall, middle aged man named Shiro. "Please…come with me, they've broken through the castle walls…we have to take you to safety.

"Shiro…my place is here, my people are dying, I need to stay with them."

"Princess, the Atlanteans have broken through the barriers…our warriors our fighting, but we need to get you to safety…our people need you to live...our soldier's will grow stronger knowing that the last of the monarchy is in a safe place."

Princess Konohana knew that Shiro was right as always, and at this point, all she really could do was follow orders. She knew that her people loved her…as intelligent as she was pretty. The princess was indeed the fairest in all her land. Word had spread far and wide about her…those who met her were astonished at her calm, genuine, gracious demeanor, and her willingness to mingle with her subjects as if she were one of them.

She knew that this war was pointless…after all, her nation of P'ang Sha, and the Atlanteans were both descendants of the Amenes…and although their descendants had looked quite different when they had landed from the stars thousands of years ago…they had mingled with the human life and the Amenes species had evolved to look incredibly human like.

With that, the Amenes had decided to split up into several different nations to help govern the inhabitants of Earth. Each city, Atlantis, P'ang Sha, Shangri-La, and others, each had divided up the main Amenes power source…and yet, for some reason, the Atlanteans suddenly grew mad with power.

They had attacked P'ang Sha in hopes of taking their power source deep within the castle walls…and the Princess could feel that it was taken…and she felt a sadness unmatched by any other fill her heart like a lump of cold fat.

She let Shiro lead her through the halls of the palace and snuck her past epic battles taking place in halls and breeze ways…as she was led from room to room, hall to hall, a painful memory cut through her mind like a sharp knife…and once again, she couldn't believe that this was happening.

A war was being waged…and her people were dying…

Suddenly, she found herself deep within the caverns of the city…was this where Shiro would hide her? Is this were she was to wait out the battle? They were close to the power source now…her beaded slippers slapped silently on the cold, limestone floor. It was relatively quiet down here…and the Princess enjoyed the cool, damp air and the sudden calm…she found it tragically ironic that in spite of all the going's on above ground, his place was always as tranquil as it always was.

The sudden peace was immediately shattered when she heard a loud scream echo through the halls. Quickly, Shiro unsheathed his sword…but not before the Princess Konohana heard the sound of another blade digging wetly into the stomach of a victim.

Shiro motioned for her to stay where she was, but of course, she didn't listen…instead, she quietly looked around the corner to see what was happening. To her horror, she stared directly into the dead, unblinking eyes of Jinsei…P'ang Sha's young guardian of the power source.

He was about her age, and the two were always good friends. Every Amenes nation had a protector of their power source…but Jinsei was different…he was the youngest guardian any nation had ever had…and he wasn't predestined to do it either. In fact, he had broken the tradition but becoming the guardian at the age of fifteen. Prior to acquiring such a lofty position, he had been a simple carpenter's apprentice.

However, the astrologists had noticed that he was different…after his fifteenth birthday he had begun to develop abilities that no one else had. Suddenly, he could handle weapons better then P'ang Sha's best warriors…his hand to hand combat skills rivaled those of the ancient masters.

Top astrologists said that Jinsei was part of an ancient tradition…part of a select few group of young men connected directly to the Amene's power source. Apparently, these chosen people were selected at random, and were always men in their mid to late teens…they never lived very long, and were instinctively drawn to protect people and sacred objects.

The two had gotten rather close these last several years, and now Princess Konohana stared down at his dead eyes glaring back at her. The man who had killed Jinsei was about the Princess's age…his hair fell to his mid back and was tied in dozens of tiny braids and beads. His blade gleamed wetly with Jinsei's blood.

Another man stood with the man with braids…and he had just gutted her personal bodyguard. The young man with the braids walked towards the glowing crystalline power source and touched it. All this was too much for Konohana to deal with…and unwillingly she screamed through the halls.

"NOOO!" And she ran towards the two young men.

The braided young man touched the crystal and immediately, a bright blue electricity filled the room and shot through his eyes…the shock knocked everyone to the floor and a blinding light filled the room…when the light finally subsided Konohana looked around…

The power source…it was…gone…

"Aeon! Aeon!" The older man asked.

The one called Aeon, lay sprawled where the power source once stood, the other, who Konohana assumed was Aeon's brother, shook him violently…but to no avail…with a dim realization, Konohana knew what had happened.

"You!" The man turned to her. "What's wrong with my brother!"

"The power source…it…it has chosen a host…" Konohana said.

"Doesn't matter…he's still breathing…and you're coming with us you bitch! If you don't tell me how to fix it then…then you'll severely regret it!"

"I will do no such thing! You can't-"

Suddenly, a group of soldiers stood behind her…there was no way she could get out…and with a grim realization, she not only knew that she had failed herself…but she had also failed her people…

New Scene…

Mina woke up and suppressed a scream…she had broken out in a cold sweat and bit her lower lip to keep from screaming aloud…she had felt the heat of the flames…the sting of the power source…and the desperation of the princess.

What was it? Who were these people? And why did they seem so familiar. She snuggled back into bed and wished that Jamie was there to hold her. She was never a religious person, but she found herself praying tonight.

"God…please…" Tears slid down her cheeks as she snuggled into her pillow. "Please watch over me…because I'm scared…"

Author's Note: Okay, I'm sorry if this chapter sucked majorly, and I'm also sorry if it's short, and latecoming but I've kinda got a lot of stuff going on here lately…in addition to a hectic work and class schedule, I'm also preparing for a fighting tournament, AND I'm trying to quit smoking…so far it's been a week and a half without one…but I wanted to write another chapter before it got too late. Oh, and in case your wondering, I was watching this thing on the History channel, and P'ang Sha, is like, the Asian version of Atlantis and stuff…so that's kinda cool! So now we know who the princess is…and I hope you don't flame me for this…I've been under a lot of pressure lately…MUCH LOVE TO EVERYBODY!


	20. Chapter 20: Prove Yourself

Chapter Twenty: Prove Yourself

Author's Note: Hey you guys! What's up? I know this chapter has a crappy title, but coming up with new and catchy titles is really hard! LOL! Not much new here…um, I did get Resident Evil 4 for the PS2…so my school work is going to suffer for about a month LOL…nah, j/k actually, I've only been able to play about twenty minutes of it…and I got to this point where I was in the village, and the creepy people kept coming and coming and then the church bell rang and they all went in it…I didn't have time to keep playing though, so I saved it, and haven't played since…so, I wonder if they're not zombies then what are they? BUT DON'T TELL ME BECAUSE I WANNA BE SURPRISED! Leon's cooler in this one, he kinda reminds me of a more hard core, secret agent-y Jamie…anyway, what else is new…um…it's been two weeks since my last cigarette, and so far, my training's been going alright…the best way for me to get over smoking is to get immersed into something else…and lately, my Tae Kwon Do forms and sparring techniques have gotten better! Okay, shout out time.

Actually, you all kind of have the same questions, so how 'bout I answer it?

Okay…I know it may seem confusing now, but all will be revealed in later chapters…and as the chapters keep cranking out, you'll hear more about the sad stories of Aeon, Spyros (Aeon's brother…the other guy in the last chapter), and Princess Konohana…and how they all tie together, and how their stories transcend to Jamie, Grey, and Mina's lives…but right now…IT'S FIGHT TIME!

Despite the fact that it was late summer, the day turned out to be a pleasant 85 degrees outside. The late morning sun filtered through the clouds and caressed Jamie Parker's face. He smiled and tilted his head up, relishing the pleasant warmth on his frame.

As a Nephilim, Jamie's life sometimes felt like one long, cold, dark night, and since his calling, he had learned to never take sunlight, or the daytime in general for granted. He was fighting Eddy Gordo today…Jamie didn't know exactly how to feel about it…he knew little to nothing about him…except the fact that he was Christie's mentor and friend, and that he was a Capoeira master…he also had a grudge against Kazuya or something…but that seemed to be the hot trend in this tournament.

Eddy seemed nice enough but he didn't really hang out with anyone…it really didn't bother Jamie a lot…as long as Eddy didn't try to kill him or his friends then Jamie had no problem with him.

The two were fighting on the beach…one of the Nephilim's favorite locations on the planet…he loved the water, he loved the sand…he loved everything about the beach. Jamie loved to swim, he loved to surf…and when most kids were terrified of drowning, the thought never occurred to him, and he took to swimming like a fish.

Even before becoming the Nephilim, Jamie had been a superb swimmer and could hold his breath a lot longer then most people his age. Jamie dug his bare feet into the warm sand and felt the rough, gritty material in between his toes. For his second fight in the tournament, Jamie dressed simply enough. He wore a pair of baggy blue board shorts that had served him well for the past five years that he had owned them…they had Hawaiian flowers intricately snaking along the fabric and hung low on his waist. His blue tinted, wrap around sunglasses were perched atop his hair line, and he wore a hemp necklace, and a matching bracelet…only he had tied the bracelet loosely around his right ankle.

He felt somewhat silly standing around and waiting for Eddy…fans sat on bleachers in a fenced in area away from the beach talking amongst themselves…with his enhanced hearing, Jamie heard snippets of their conversations…none were very important.

Suddenly, the crowd roared with delight, and Jamie turned to see Eddy Gordo enter the arena. He wore a pair of black, baggy pants and a breezy purple button up shirt…only unbuttoned. His hair, like Jamie's, was tied back. Eddy wore a pair of nice looking wrap around sunglasses and enough jewelry to make Jamie wonder how he could function without having that big ass platinum chain smack him in the face.

"Hey Eddy!" Jamie said cheerfully as he dropped into a fighter's stance.

Eddy nodded silently and waved his arm up in a greeting. "Hi Jamie."

"Good luck okay?" Jamie added.

He didn't seem too nervous for this fight…that is until he noticed the crew setting up mega speakers in the stands.

"Huh?" Jamie asked, he got out of his stance and looked around in confusion.

"Sorry," Eddy said with a grin. "I need music to keep the rhythm…I hope you don't mind, but it's essential to Capoeira."

"No," Jamie said. "That's cool."

He smiled, but in his mind he rattled off every single curse word he could think of…this wasn't fair…how come Eddy got to listen to music, but Jamie couldn't carry around a weapon? He decided not to let it bother him too much though…after all, he had fought plenty of enemies in clubs and stuff while music was blaring…so how was this any different?

The announcer called the fight, and a huge, big screen television in the background activated, showing the ensuing fight to everyone in the stands.

"Jamie Parker vs. Eddy Gordo…round 1…FIGHT!" Kenji Minamoto (the tournament MC) called.

Suddenly, the loud speakers reverberated with the classic Crunk, Petey Pablo song "Vibrate", Jamie was familiar with the song because Mina had choreographed a rather impressive and complicated dance number to the "clean" version of the song...and seeing as how this was on Japanese national Television, they played the nicer version of it.

Jamie looked at Eddy quizzically…there were tons of other fast songs that were relevant to fighting…and this wasn't one of them.

"They must've mixed up me and Christie's mix CD's." He said sheepishly.

"Oh…mmkay." Jamie responded flatly.

With that cleared…it was all business, and the two leapt into battle. Eddy was fast...so fast in fact that even with his Nephilim senses, Jamie had a hard time keeping up with the Capoiera master. He never stayed still, and that presented a problem because no matter how tricked out with powers Jamie was…he could never land a decent blow on Eddy.

Sure, Jamie managed to land a few light, quick punches, but they didn't faze Eddy much. Quickly, Eddy performed three quick strikes with his fists…the attacks caught Jamie by surprise, but didn't hurt…suddenly, Eddy performed a quick front flip, and while he was in the air, shot his foot out and kicked Jamie hard in the face.

"WHHHAAAAAA!" Jamie shrieked as he flew through the air.

He skidded to a stop face first in the surf, and tasted the acrid sting of the salt water on in his mouth. With his face underwater, Jamie could hear muffled voices and the steady rhythm of the music. The kick to the face really hurt…it was a miracle that The Nephilim's nose hadn't shattered after that attack…not that it would've really mattered, the wound would've healed before anyone would have noticed.

Quickly, Jamie whipped his face up from the warm water, and smoothed away the wet strands of hair from his face. Below his waist was still underwater, and he used his hands to prop himself up, but in an instant, his left hand slipped in the muddy sand, and once again, Jamie found himself face first in the water.

The tournament announcer took this accident to mean that Jamie couldn't continue with the round, and pronounced Eddy the winner of round one!  
"Dammit…" Jamie muttered angrily as he stood and dusted off his shorts.

"You weren't really ready to give up were you?" Eddy asked.

"No, I still could've fought." Jamie replied before dropping into his stance again.

"Well then stop holding back! I don't want to win this fight based on a referee's bad judgment!" Eddy said harshly (although Jamie could tell that Eddy meant to motivate him).

"You got it," Jamie began.

The referee called round two, and this time Jamie tried to suspend all the other senses around him. He used to think that all of that meditating, and inner peace, and true enlightenment were the result of too many clichés from old Kung Fu movies…but Jamie swore to God that once he actually stopped thinking about the screaming fans and the pulsating music everything went…silent.

And in this strange state of mind, Eddy seemed to start slowing down…sure he was fast, but not nearly as fast as he was before. With his erratic movements, Eddy kept trying to confuse Jamie, but the Nephilim wasn't going to let him. Eddy attacked with his breakdance fighting, but in the sudden calm that permeated through the Nephilim, Jamie figured out a strategy to beating him.

Jamie moved to perform a roundhouse kick to Eddy's chest, mainly to give himself some breathing room, but before Jamie could even raise his leg to kick, Eddy stomped on Jamie's foot…pinning it to the ground, and hurting quite a lot.

What happened next was some fierce, hand to hand action. Jamie punched while Eddy dodged. The two attempted to grapple with each other…and try as he might, Jamie wasn't fast enough to deliver the kick he needed to, for every time Jamie raised his leg, Eddy was quick to knock it back down.

Finally, mainly out of desperation, Jamie grabbed hold of Eddy's breezy purple shirt…he had grabbed the shoulders of it, and knew he had to act fast…Eddy began to catch on to Jamie's plan, but the Nephilim was too quick for Eddy to stop.

Using his free leg, Jamie placed it behind one of Eddy's and performed jerked Eddy hard sideways, throwing the Capoeira master off balance, as Eddy struggled for a foot hold, he tripped over Jamie's leg and fell to the sand.

Jamie had almost fallen with Eddy, but now (with both legs at his disposal), he performed two back hand springs and gave himself some room between him and his opponent.

Right around the time that Eddy began to get up, Jamie started running towards him…as soon as Eddy stood he was introduced to Jamie's foot coming straight for his face…the blow hurt…bad…but not nearly as bad as the next. While he was still in the air, and after the first attack, he spun, and kicked Eddy again with the back leg…sending Eddy directly into the lifeguard station.

Jamie Parker was unquestionably the victor of round two.

"Now that's more like it!" Eddy said with a smile and a cough.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Jamie replied good naturedly.

Round three began, and while Jamie attempted to stay away from Eddy, Eddy wasn't going to let it happen. Using his moves, Eddy dropped one hand on the sand and brought the rest of his body up which to Jamie, looked kind of like a hand plant one does on a skateboard. His leg smacked Jamie on the top of the head hard…and the Nephilim staggered backwards.

Next, Eddy was on the ground and whipped his legs around like helicopter blades, tripping the Nephilim, and making him fall harshly to the ground. Jamie grunted in pain as he fell, but Eddy was already up…he raised his leg high in the air, and it started coming down towards Jamie's skull!

Like it or not, Jamie knew that if that attack hit him, his career in this tournament would have been over…so he quickly rolled out of the way and stood up. Eddy turned quickly to get a double roundhouse kick combo to his chest, and a back hand to the face.

Desperately, Eddy tried to do his strange hand plant attack again, but this time Jamie was ready…using centripetal force, Jamie grabbed Eddy's attacking leg, and working gravity to his advantage, flung the Capoeira master as hard as he could into a swaying palm tree.

As Eddy fell he struggled to get up again but couldn't…Jamie Parker had won the fight!

The crowd went wild, Jamie's supporters screaming in delight and holding signs up for him. Jamie smiled to the crowd and gave a sheepish wave…before jogging over to help Eddy up.

"It was a good fight." Jamie said. "I was just lucky."

"No," Eddy said. "Don't ever say that…you beat me because you were better then I am…I have to go and train harder, then next tournament, we'll see if I can even the score."

"Sounds good to me!"

"Jamie, Jamie! You've just won the fight what're you gonna do now?" Kenji Minamoto asked.

Jamie turned and felt a little overwhelmed to see a bunch of cameras staring at him in the face.

"Well…since I'm dressed for it…and since I'm here…I might go surfing?" Jamie said nervously (although it sounded more like a question then an answer).

In actuality, he wished he could see his friend's fights…after all, Mina and Kyosuke were fighting today…he knew that Mina was fighting in a place called "The Cave" but since it was an archeological dig he couldn't go…as for Kyo, his fight in the labs was also a restricted area.

_New Scene…_

Mina sighed to herself and draped one leg over the other. She shivered slightly and zipped up her fitted, white and pink lined "track jacket" the dank of the cavern she was to fight in betrayed the temperature in the outside world. She had come early…to marvel at the opulence she supposed.

The cavern was only recently discovered about a month and a half ago. Shortly after the incident with Jinpachi Mishima, and after Jin and Xiaoyu's wedding, Kazuya had taken over the Mishima Zaibatsu.

At that time, everyone sort of went their separate ways…Steve to England, Christie to LA, Hwoarang and Julia to Arizona, Asuka and Billy back to Japan, and Xiao and Jin off to their honeymoon.

Dimitri Helios, old high school friend of Jamie's brother Justin, and a world famous, globe trotting archeologist adventurer (he had also helped Jamie and the others stop Jinpachi), went to Japan. After a recent earthquake in Tokyo, fisherman began to find several valuable pieces of Incan gold in their fishnets.

Dimitri came to investigate the mystery (hired by Kazuya) and found a secret network of caverns and caves off the beach that had been hidden away for hundreds of years! Apparently, the cave that Mina was in, was the entrance to a rather elaborate pirate hideout.

Behind her stood a rather imposing looking gate, and a crumbling structure; which Dimitri had discovered to be a campsite housing an old Spanish Galleon, and a complicated network of structures like these; unfortunately, since Heihachi's sudden reemergence and acquisition of the Zaibatsu, the project was put on indefinite hold.

He had closed down any further investigation of the galleon…and had royally pissed Dimitri off…however, since the adventurer wasn't invited to the tournament, he couldn't fight for the cause. Mina remembered that Dimitri had been talking to Jamie on the phone about it the day before they left for Japan.

And she remembered her almost playful attempt to cheer him up.

"_Don't worry Dimitri…if I win the tournament I'll make sure that you can keep exploring that cave!"_

"_Thanks Mina," Dimitri chuckled. "You're sweet, take care of Jamie okay? Make sure he doesn't get into anymore trouble."_

Mina felt herself blush at the memory…Dimitri Helios…in addition to wealth, he had foreign, exotic, rock star good looks, thick, wavy black hair and blue eyes, he was also completely approachable, and always willing to help.

Yes, Mina did have a little "crushy" on Dimitri, but she loved Jamie more then anything else…and she would always pick Jamie over anyone…but who didn't have a crush on Dimitri? He was gorgeous.

And besides, the entrance had enough treasure in it to feed a small third world country for about a decade. The dim surroundings practically glittered with countless piles of coins, goblets, jewelry, and even a few weapons…most of them were too ornate to actually serve their purposes.

Mina sat on a barrel and glanced around the area again…her short, red plaid skirt, knee socks, and white Keds completed her outfit. She stared out the mouth of the cave and realized that somewhere along that beach, Jamie was in the middle of his fight…Mina wished that her opponent would hurry up. She was to fight a man named F'eng Wei today.

A world renowned Kempo fighter who tried to learn the secret styles of Dragon Fist…a style widely talked about and rumored to be legend in Martial Arts. F'eng Wei had been defeated in the last tournament by Asuka…he had made the mistake of destroying her foster father's dojo and critically wounding the man.

F'eng Wei was out to prove that he was the undisputed champion of martial arts and in doing so, killed his own master! He had obviously never found the secret principles of Dragon Fist because they were rumored to give the user the strength to move mountains…and seeing as how Mina hadn't seen or heard any mountain ranges split here recently she highly doubted F'eng Wei had mastered them.

Suddenly, Mina saw a small boat enter the cavern and a man staring at her. He either wore a look of utter contentment or one of complete anger…Mina wasn't quite sure which. He wore a pair of colorful, baggy pants and no shirt. His hair was in one long braid and fell down his back.

He disembarked and glanced Mina over as she sat on the barrel. She discreetly uncrossed her legs (as she was wearing a skirt), smoothed it and smiled.

"Hi, my name's Mina!" She offered her hand.

F'eng Wei's silence spoke volumes, and he gave her a look that one gives an insect at a picnic…and for an instant, Mina swore that his eyes…changed…somehow.

"I've told them to change the rules of the match." He began.

"Really?" Mina asked, dropping into a fighting stance.

"If you can defeat me in one match then I'll let you take the win."

"Are you so sure about that?" Mina said with a smile.

"I have a secret weapon."

"Okay then…" Mina said with a friendly, calm confidence…she made sure that she used her "instructor voice" as if she was addressing an unruly child rather then a sociopathic martial arts master. "Let's get this over with."

F'eng Wei stood still, while Mina bounced on the balls of her feet. With her unique combination of her Tae Kwon Do and dance techniques she was more then capable of being a participant in this tournament.

_But the question is…can I take this guy out?_

The fight was announced and began quickly. For someone who was so strong, F'eng Wei certainly was fast! Mina dodged the first two punches, but got a sharp kick to the chest.

"AAAH!" She screamed as she flew through the air.

She landed roughly on her backside…and F'eng Wei began to mercilessly run at her…instinctively, she scooted backwards until she felt herself hit the cold brick of the pirate fort.

"I'm done…" She whispered.

She didn't know what that secret weapon of F'eng Wei's was…but it was powerful…and in one kick, he had nearly shattered her rib cage! In an instant he towered over and punched the wall…Mina heard a rumbling and quickly leapt out of the way…she launched into a hap ki do roll and stood shakily behind F'eng Wei…and not a moment too soon as several bricks from the wall landed where she had once stood! Two landed on F'eng Wei but he seemed more irritated then hurt.

"You're fast I'll give you that…" He said, voice glinting with hate. "But you'll tire and I'll catch you…" And once again, his eyes turned creepy, and reptilian again.

"After this tournament I'm going to go to America and take on the nation's best and brightest Martial Artists…I believe your father is one of them? I'm sure he'll be good and angry when I send his daughter back to him piece by piece."

"You can try it…but I've fought scarier shit then you!" Mina said…beginning to get angry.

She ran at F'eng Wei and performed a lightning fast jumping snap kick combo…screaming as she did.

Surprised by the sudden attack, F'eng Wei didn't get a chance to block. Mina landed in a graceful roll and stood again. Before he could turn fully, Mina granted him the pleasure of her foot.

"Why do you hate girls so much?" Mina asked. "I'll bet you never got asked out on a date huh?"

For her major, Mina was taking Psychology at school, and F'eng Wei was a classic example of a sociopath…he thought that he was above everyone else…and the only way for Mina to win this battle is to do things that he would never expect…The Chinese fighter thought all women were inferior…so if she did the exact opposite of what he expected then she could actually win this!

Mina moved to swing a punch, and maybe perform her patented, "A-Town Stomp" technique, but at the last second…F'eng Wei…roared…like some kind of prehistoric creature.

The move stunned and shocked the young fighter so much, that F'eng Wei managed to backhand her hard. She yelped in pain, and as she spun from the attack the kempo master grabbed her by the hair and pulled…

Mina was horrified to see several strands of hair…her hair in the man's grasp…and he was…smelling it!

"War trophies," He grinned. "The dragon inside me loves it when I fight little girls…they break and tear as easily as pink paper dolls."

Mina was speechless, but now, even more angry and repulsed then before…she had fought demons before who did unspeakable acts of violence to humans…but they were different…they didn't have a soul…and apparently, somewhere, F'eng Wei did too…

"I think you need a new hobby…time to put you out of your misery!"

Mina wasn't going to hold back anymore…quickly she performed three lightning fast spins followed by her punishing axe kick…stunned by her "A-Town Stomp" move, Mina moved to perform a simple roundhouse and punch combo called "1,2 step".

In desperation, F'eng Wei moved to punch, Mina dodged the right hook, grabbed the exposed arm, spun around, and snapped it.

With his arm broke, F'eng Wei fell…

He had been defeated.

This wasn't like Mina's defeat over Anna…she didn't feel any regret for what she did to this man…for the camera's, she performed a quick victory number…she dusted off the shoulders of her jacket and her skirt.

"Just gotta shake it off!" She said with a grin.

As she walked towards her awaiting boat, she knelt down to F'eng Wei and stared at him hard.

"If you ever come near my father or my friends I will put you in so much pain you'll wish you were never born!" She said in the most threatening voice she could muster. "I kicked your ass once and I'll do it again too…Dragon Fist or no Dragon Fist!"

Author's Note: Okay, I know that I said I'd write in more fights, but actually, it works a little better if I break it off here, b/c next chapter will have two other fights, but have more stuff going on too! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this latest chapter, but the semester is almost over and I've got a lot to do here lately…anyway, it's been a couple of weeks since my last cigarette and I'm still hardcore training for my tournament…sigh…anyway sorry for the long update but this took a really a long time to write…so much love to everyone and PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	21. Chapter 21: One Down

Chapter Twenty One: One Down

Author's Note: Okay another chapter fresh out the oven…it might be sort of short, but big things are happening soon…I just wanted this chapter to finish up the round of fights I was doing…and you'll understand why this chapter is named the way it is pretty soon. Okay…shout out time!

Karisan: Hey what's up! I'm so happy that you're writing an AU story and I really enjoy it! Thanks for being such a supporter of my story and I'm gonna read as soon as I get more time!

DevilBilly: Heyz! What's up! Thanks for dedicating those chappies to me I really appreciate it! Oh, and on the Def Jam site my names FrUmPsLaYER so check it out…I just got on it so I might not be registered yet.

Thee Slushee: Well I certainly don't want you to lose sleep and let your grades slip on the count of this story LOL! Well, I guess this chapter is dedicated to you because it's gonna be shorter then my others.

Thunderxtw: Hey, thanks for checking out my Resident Evil story and I hope that you enjoy this chapter too…and I actually have nothing against Anna…actually, I really don't hate any video game characters…because there not real so what's the point in hating them? I guess I just portray Anna the way I do based on how my characters would react to her. But thanks for not getting overly…weird about it!

Shadowsin: Hey I love the fact that you're back and I hope that you like this story. And thanks for letting me add the Kyo thing too!

Hibeki: Hey I'm glad Slushee's got my back and I'm glad that you like this story! Hope you enjoy this latest chappie and welcome to Ties That Bind! Always happy to have a newcomer LOL!

Kim Kasama: THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thanks a ton for your review and I hope you enjoy this chapter too! I know everyone understands but I really appreciate what you wrote! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and welcome to Tekken 6: Ties That Bind.

Grey ran his hands lightly across the fence and stared out into the crowd. He was fighting his opponent today in an old, run down basketball court…one that had been famous for housing the very first fight between Jin Kazama and Hwoarang in the third Iron Fist tournament.

Apparently, Hwoarang still played basketball in the cracked, graffiti tagged, weed choked garden with the Japanese faction of the Blood Talon. Grey watched the fans gather in center of this Japanese ghetto…drug pushers and pimps mostly…the crack addicts nervously twitching and darting their eyes about…the pimps with their overwhelming sense of self worth and pride…and then there were the common people who lived around this dump and were just thrilled to be able to see a famous Iron Fist fight for free.

Grey came from humble places like these…he wasn't some stuck up, rich kid surfer like Jamie was…Grey understood…and Grey was going to make sure these people got one hell of a show.

All things considered, Grey wore a simple outfit today…he wore a pair of incredibly baggy (to where two people could probably fit in the legs) black jeans with about a million zippers on them, and a black tank top.

He kept in all his piercings, and had died the bangs of his hair again from red to green. Grey had no idea who he was fighting today, Heihachi wouldn't tell him…but he did say that it was a surprise and that Grey would enjoy it immensely.

As Grey wondered briefly if he should consider selling drugs again on the side he heard the gate creak open…he turned to see his latest conquest staring before him…tall, blonde, handsome…

"Steve Fox…" Grey said happily with a huge grin.

"Look who I get to fight…you've been beatin' on my friends and lil' girls mate…why don'tcha pick on someone your own size?" Steve said angrily.

"Oh thank you God! This is gonna be awesome." Grey shouted enthusiastically.

"How's the jaw Grey?" Steve asked.

"Completely healed…the Nephilim can break any bone of mine he likes but it'll heal in a few minutes."  
"Really?"

"Yup, I love being the superior one."

"I think you're all talk Grey…I've seen blokes like you all my life. You let your clothes and attitude do the talking…well it's time to put up or shut up! That crap may work for Jamie and the other young kids but not a grown ass man like me!"

"Are you quite done?" Grey asked.

"Almost," Steve said with a grin. "time to pick on someone your own size." He pointed a tape wrapped hand at Grey before dropping into his fighting stance.

"Sure…just got one question?" Grey asked dropping into his stance.

"Shoot." Steve continued to smile.

"Do you always wear that shit eating grin?" He asked sweetly.

That did it…Steve dropped his friendly conversation. "Arright jackass…shut your piehole…you're gonna be lucky if your jaw is all I break!"

"Round One…fight!" Kenji called.

The crowd cheered enthuastically and banged repeatedly against the chain link fence…causing a sort of chaotic rhythm through the arena that Grey enjoyed immensely. Steve didn't waste anytime attacking the young emo kid…bouncing on the balls of his feet the British boxer performed a staggering, and blinding six hit combo against Grey.

Grey tried to dodge the attacks, but even he had to admit that they were fast, and several of the punches managed to hit home…the final one, Steve reared back his fist before throwing it out with the speed and velocity of a mack truck…stunned from the other volley of attacks, Grey didn't have time to dodge this one…and when it connected, Grey swore to God that he had been pushed several feet back!

He wanted to scream…shout…punch out all of Steve's teeth and break his fucking face…but all he could do was stand in stunned silence as his internal organs felt like they were suddenly liquefied and would pour out of his every orifice.

The pain was incredible…and even though Grey was The Avatar of some great warrior he couldn't move! His arms stuck out uselessly and his mouth was agape.

"Time to end this!" Steve reared back and punched Grey as hard as he could in the face.

Grey yelped in pain as he spiraled through the air and landed with a loud "ping" against the steel pole that held up one of the basketball hoops.

Steve was declared the winner of round one…he looked down smugly at Grey, and through a few punches.

"C'mon Grey, you're not even givin' me a good workout!"

Angrily, Grey did a kick up and mentally chastised himself for falling prey to such an obvious attack.

"Okay blondie…let's finish this." He said in the most menacing voice that Grey could muster.

It was the voice he had used to make people piss their pants…unfortunately it didn't seem to faze Steve that much…he only gave his annoying smile and added.

"Yeah mate; let's."

Round two was called and suddenly, Steve was gone to Grey…and in his place stood all the people who had wronged him…his awful "temporary" stepfather, the school bullies…the assholes who made fun of him for wearing makeup…the fans were screaming…they wanted a fight…they wanted a bloodbath…and Grey was willing to give them one.

"You've got such nice teeth Steve…I think they'll make a great necklace!"

Steve moved to punch Grey but at the last second Grey ducked and turned while he was crouching…when Grey had completely spun he launched off the heel's of his feet and leapt into the air with a devastating uppercut.

"WWWUUURRRRGGGGHHHH!" Steve blared as Grey's fist connected with the British boxer's chin.

Blood and a tooth exploded from Steve's jaw as he wheeled backwards off balance.

"Hmph…you were saying?" Grey asked.

"I can't believe it! That was Grey's move Machum's Razor! Steve would have to be Super Man to be able to withstand such an attack!" The announcer said.

Grey smiled as he got back to his feet, and in a lightning fast maneuver, finished with a side kick. Steve staggered and landed hard against the chain link fence…he coughed up more blood before falling to the ground.

The announcer proclaimed Grey winner of the fight by default…Steve was too injured to continue fighting…broken teeth and three fractured ribs attested to that. Before the paramedics took Steve away, Grey walked up to him.

"Too bad I can't kill you in this tournament…I'd be doing you a favor!"

"Jamie…Jamie'll…kill…you…" Steve stammered.

"Yeah," Grey snorted. "Okay."

The young punk smiled and waved to his fans before promptly flipping off the cameras which made his fans squeal even louder. One of his theme songs (Korn's cover of "Word Up") blared over the speakers and Kenji the tournament MC walked towards Grey to get a post match.

"Grey would you like to tell us how you-"  
"I KICKED STEVE'S ASS BIOTCH! HOPE JAMIE PARKER'S LISTENIN'! I GOT ONE DOWN! AND I'M COMIN' FOR YA!" Grey shouted straight at the camera.

Not giving Kenji a second chance, Grey stalked off towards his ride out deciding that he would go clubbing tonight party it up, get drunk and most likely get laid. After all, he had just beaten the shit out of the Middle Weight Champion of the World…Grey'd say that he earned the right to party.

As he walked off his cellphone rang…Grey answered it.

"I saw your fight…quite a show you put on." Heihachi's deep voice grumbled.

"Yeah…beat him in one fight…one down…and I'll keep beating those dipshits up until I take out that pretty little Nephilim."

"Don't get too cocky…we need to plan our next attack…"

"Yeah," Grey said. "After I get in some serious party time." Grey clicked the phone off.

"Looks like in this story…the bad guys are gonna win."

Author's Note: Yeah I'm not dead…not much new here except that I've been really, really, really busy…but I'm still here and I hope you enjoyed this chapter I'll try to update when I can but it might be a bit more sporadically then before…anyway, please leave me a review when you get the chance, and if you're a fan of Resident Evil, then please, check out my Resident Evil story! Anyway, much love to all PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	22. Chapter 22: Strike on Box

Chapter Twenty Two: Strike on Box

Author's Note: Hey everyone, I'm writing this chapter on the way to my cousin's house for Thanksgiving (for those who don't know what that is) it's an American holiday where we celebrate how we colonized America by sodomizing a dead turkey with stuffing! For those who do know what it is…I'm having a fried turkey for dinner…never had one…anyway, my whole family is crammed in the car with me, and I figured the only way I could survive this was by writing on my laptop…anyway, I'm in Texas now for Christmas Break…I just got in last night and I'm exhausted so, oh well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Oh, and officially, we're NOT ALLOWED TO RESPOND TO REVIEWS! I checked myself but apparently, we can respond from some link under our penname's or…whatever…anyway, it's confusing…but hopefully we'll figure it out…well, this chapter takes place immediately after Steve's fight with Grey, and hopefully, this chapter will be a bit longer then normal. Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to two people: Shadowsin (For letting me use some of his info) and JunKing (He made a mix for his OC…It's good!)

The Nephilim sprinted through the woods pumping out full speed…to the untrained eye, he was just a blond blur as he sprinted through the foliage, splashed in the streams, and leapt over the rocks. Overhead, he was well aware of the flapping of wings above him…and he was also well aware that the creature following him intended to mess him up severely.

Jamie wasn't familiar with this particular stretch of woods…Kyo and his family trained here all the time, but Jamie rarely came. He'd often said that it was because it was the Kazama family "special, sacred, training spot"…but it was mostly laziness that he never trained back here…and now he was paying for it severely as he had no idea where he was going.

As he ran, branches whipped past him furiously, but Jamie continued to pay them no mind…he leapt over a rather large embankment and landed smoothly…his legs absorbing the impact with no complaints.

_Okay…can't keep this up for very long…getting kinda tired and I lost my damn knife awhile back and…_

Suddenly, Jamie heard a loud roar permeate the darkness, and he dared to steal a glance backward…from the creature's hideous face split a rather strange third eye…and a purple beam shot forth.

"Ah crap…" Jamie muttered. "me and my fat mouth."

"I'll take my Nephilim extra crispy please!" The creature cackled evilly.

The creature wasn't that far from the truth…if that laser got him…well, Jamie Parker the Nephilim would bare a striking resemblance to a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Jamie wore a pair of baggy blue basketball shorts and they whipped across his legs as he ran…the creature was gaining fast and already, he could feel the laser begin to singe the hairs on the backs of his calves…this only encouraged him to run faster.

_Ohshitohshitohshitohshit…._

Suddenly, Jamie began to realize that the scenery was beginning to look familiar.

_I passed this rock before…I've been going in a circle so that must mean…_

Right around the time this chase had begun, Jamie had wandered in the woods on his routine patrol…it was kind of chilly, so before he braved the woods he had gone to the coffee shop and bought a large cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream (Jamie hated coffee). The fight had begun, and Jamie had set down his drink on a rock…and figured he'd be enjoying his toasty warm drink relatively soon.

That was until this creature sprouted wings and turned out to be a bigger threat then Jamie had anticipated. Sure enough, the steaming hot Styrofoam cup sat at its resting place.

"Betcha no Nephilim's ever attempted this one…" Jamie muttered.

As he ran past the rock he snatched the drink and was relieved to find it still piping hot. He ran towards a tree and began to run up it…the laser beam trailing ever so closely behind him.

_Not gonna work…not gonna work…_

At the last second, the Nephilim pivoted in the air and stared his attacker in the face…and flung the drink with all his might. His aim was true and the cup hit the enemy's face with an explosion of hot cocoa, whipped cream, and Styrofoam.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" His attacker shrieked.

While in the air…and for good measure, Jamie made sure to add a kick to the face, to ground his enemy…the two landed in a heap on the dried leaves.

Jamie quickly did a kick up, and assumed his stance…panting.

"OOOOWWWWW….HOT…HOT…WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM!" The creature screamed as he changed back to human form.

"Sorry Billy," Jamie said with a grin and shrug of his shoulders. "Guess I just had to improvise."

"Well damn man! That shit burns!" Billy asked.

"Okay," Jamie folded his arms and cocked his head to the side. "My 3.75 hot cocoa that's a little above room temperature verses your laser beam with the temperature of a neutron star-" Jamie started as he moved to help Billy up.

Suddenly, a blinding blur bum rushed the Nephilim…and he landed roughly into a tree.

"GAH!" He sputtered as he felt a pair of vice like fingers clamp across his throat.

His captor raised him high in the air and stared at him.

"Looks like you forgot one of the most important lessons of battle Nephilim; never let your guard down. You haven't trained properly…you're getting lazy."

Jamie gagged and coughed as he struggled; but finally, managed to swing a leg around in a fast crescent kick. The blow connected with his enemy's temple and caused him to drop his prey.

Jamie ducked into a roll and stood.

"How's that? Satisfied?" He asked with a grin.

Kazuya Mishima stood and brushed himself off. "You got lucky that time…but remember; I killed you once."

"I was only dead for like a minute." Jamie said accusingly as he dusted off his shorts and coughed lightly.

"Hmph…" Billy snorted as he stood up and dusted the leaves off his jeans. "With that outfit, no wonder you died."

Jamie looked down self consciously at his white SpongeBob SquarePants t-shirt and shorts.

"Hey…" Jamie began before glaring at Billy. "Shut up."

The Nephilim stretched and retied his hair in it's familiar ponytail.

"Okay, so I'm down for a little training session anytime…I mean, it's my job right? Chosen Warrior and all that crap! But why do we have to do it at the ass end of nowhere?"

"The woods…it's not just for Kazama's anymore." Billy said as he gestured broadly to the various clearings and fields.

"You've never been back here Jamie, I wanted to put you in an area that you weren't so familiar with." Kazuya said wisely.

"Okay…I get that." Jamie said. "So who else is here?"

"Jin, Hwoarang, and Kyo…Steve should be here soon." Billy said as they walked.

The relative calm of the woods was shattered with the sounds of vigorous fighting. Suddenly, Hwoarang shot through a patch of trees and landed at the Nephilim's feet.

"What up Jamie…" He said breathlessly as he lay there.

"Hey Hwoarang." Jamie said cheerily as he helped the Korean up.

"I'm good…but I've got a real important question to ask you?" Hwoarang stared at Jamie seriously for a minute. "Do you have any cigarettes?"

"I got gum." Jamie said with a shrug and a sympathetic smile.

"Sparring Kazama…he's only winning 'cuz I'm having a hella nic fit." Hwoarang said.

"Where is Jin?" Jamie asked.

Suddenly, out of the tree's clad in a pair of black gi pants, Jin flew at Hwoarang with his fists flying. The two sparred for a bit longer before stopping to breathe.

"Nice of you to join us Jamie; do you want to spar later?" Jin asked, his face and chest slick with sweat.

"Maybe in a bit sure…I'm still recovering from Billy trying to turn me into a bucket of fried chicken."

The joke caused laughter in the group.

"I've seen you go on patrol before man, don't tell me you didn't bring your throwing stars, your holy water, or your cross bow?" Hwoarang asked.

"Sorry," Jamie patted his pockets. "Those, and my armored car, and my rocket launcher would be in my other pants…all I got with me is some gum and my wallet. Anyway, I think I'm gonna check on Kyo." Jamie waved back to his friends and walked through the woods to where his friend was training.

(New Scene)

"Imma get get get you drunk…get you love drunk off my humps…" Kim Sueng Mina sang softly to herself as she walked down the halls of the Mishima Hotel.

She danced a bit as she walked; her Mp3 player's headphones blasting the Black Eyed Peas song "My Humps". It was late, and Jamie was out patrolling tonight; normally, she'd go with him as usual, or do some patrolling or research of her own, but tonight, Kazuya had explained that he was going to put Jamie in a "surprise situation" and see how he did.

Mina was sure that he was doing fine.

For all intents and purposes…Mina was feeling pretty damn good tonight thank you very much. She had just beat F'eng W'ei earlier in the day and stopped his mad tirade of challenging and potentially killing all the best martial artists in America. Mina was walking towards the lounge…it seemed as if it was a quiet evening tonight, Julia was busy decoding the disk that Jamie and Kyo had taken from Doctor Abel's apartment…and so far, she hadn't been able to uncover a lot…but none of it seemed to make much sense.

Apparently, it was something about a ritual…and three people from ancient times who had died long ago…Mina offered to help in any way she could, and Julia had taken her up on the offer…only problem was that Julia was no longer in her room.

Mina wasn't exactly dressed to go out anywhere anyway…she was wearing a pair of sky blue pajama pants and a black spaghetti strap tank top. Her hair was tied back in a messy bun and she had officially taken her contacts out for the evening. A pair of sleek, black square glasses adorned her pretty face.

The lounge was pretty busy tonight. Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, and Craig Marduk were busy watching a football game and screaming at the tv, while Forrest was playing a game of pool and losing against King…a kind hearted man from Mexico who seemed to never take off his leopard mask.

Julia sat in a corner staring at her laptop and clicking keys…numbers and letters danced across the frames of her glasses as she stared intently at the screen.

"Hey." Mina said cheerily as she took a seat across from Julia.

"Oh hey Mina," Julia smiled and rubbed her temples. "What are you doing here?"

"I said I'd help you didn't I? Believe me, I'm an expert researcher…I've got like, a small P.H.D in Demonology and stuff."

"Really?" Julia asked with a tired smile.

"Yeah…about 45 percent of being an official side kick to a Nephilim is sitting at my dad's karate place at all ungodly hours reading huge books and looking at web sites about demons and curses."

"45 percent? And what's the other 55?"

"Action…fighting for your life…all that fun stuff." Mina responded with a chuckle.

That got a laugh from Julia who took her glasses off and stretched. "I'm so tired…and I've got a fight tomorrow with King that I'm not exactly looking forward too."

"So get some sleep…I'll finish this up. I'm not fighting tomorrow anyway."

"Thanks…you're awesome…but this disk is crazy…after I break one major firewall, I have to deal with five smaller ones…only to find out that the file I've spent the last three hours opening is only for office supplies."

"They really know how to protect their security system's huh?" Mina asked.

"Tell me about it…in all the time I've actually worked on this disk I've only found about three files pertinent to what we're looking for."

"So what have you found?" Xiaoyu asked walking towards Julia's table.

"Just that this Ritual of Triumvarence has to do with three people who had died tragically thousands of years ago…apparently, they're reunion will bring about a great evil…but what kind I'm not sure exactly."

Mina lowered her eyes as she remembered the dream from the night before…it seemed so real…what had it meant? She'd been meaning to bring up, and was about to do just that when Asuka and Kaori walked up to them.

They were chatting and laughing.

"Oh my God…I can't believe you just did that 'Suka!" Kaori said through peals of laughter.

"I know…I can't believe I talked to him…and I was all like 'wanna come to Japan?' and in that completely sexy accent he said 'sure! Sounds awesome!'" Asuka said, acting completely like a girly girl.

"Who are you talking about Asuka Kazama?" Mina asked, a grin playing on her face.

"Only one of the hottest of the hotties that we met all summer!" Kaori squealed.

"Would anyone just explain what's going on before we have heart failure?" Julia asked with a laugh.

"Um…I just got off the phone with…um…Mina's friend…Robbie…" Asuka said, blushing as red as the streaks in Mina's hair.

"And I take it that everything went alright?" Xiao asked. "I mean Robbie's like, such a babe." She said, faking a preppy girl's voice.

"HE SAID YES!" Asuka cried happily.

She yelled so loud that the fighter's in the lounge all turned and looked at her strangely. "…sorry…" She finished sheepishly.

"So when's Robbie coming? I always knew you two'd hit it off." Mina said with a knowing smile.

"Well, he said he could probably come in two weeks because that's when his fall break starts." Asuka said.

"Oh yeah…fall break…" Mina said.

"Did you and Jamie have to drop this semester Mina?" Kaori asked.

"Nah, we're starting the mini semester in October and going from there." Mina responded.

"Anyway, did you guys talk on the phone for long?" Julia asked.

"Not too long…I mean, it was long distance on my cellphone, but we've been chatting online and stuff before…finally, I just asked if he wanted to come and he was all excited…" Asuka stopped and frowned. "Wait a minute…that didn't make me look like an obsessive psycho chick did it? I mean, I don't seem too forward do I?"

"Don't worry about it," Mina said with a chuckle. "Robbie's a cool guy and an awesome friend…he's always wanted to go to Japan anyway, and most likely, the thought never occurred to him that you were being a stalker."

"That's good…but oh God…what am I gonna wear? I don't have any nice clothes…what am I gonna do!" Asuka started to panic.

"Sweetie," Xiao said standing and placing her hands on Asuka's shoulders. "relax…breathe…it's simple, we'll all take you to the mall and get you a make over and some new clothes…"

"Yeah, but let's make sure that Mina and Kaori don't go like last time…" Julia trailed off with a laugh.

"Hey!" Kaori began. "Anna asked for it! She was nasty and mean…and she started it!"

"That only holds up in first grade court Kaori." Xiao said evenly to her cousin.

"And besides…it wasn't just her, but her fatty fat fat fan girls." Mina added. "Have you guys seen that movie Mean Girls? Anna's like the Regina George of the Iron Fist Tournament!"

(Author's Note: Hey, if you've never seen the movie, Regina George is the main Mean Girl)

The girls laughed at the joke, until Xiao broke the silence. "Hey, seriously, have you guys seen Christie lately?"

"She said she was going to wait for Steve at a café after his fight with Grey." Julia said (as the two were roommates).

Suddenly, the doors to the hotel burst open and Christie Monteiro stormed through. She walked towards the lounge where the girls sat…and while she looked pretty, her eyes were puffy from crying, and her eyeliner was running down her cheeks in black rivers.

She wore an off white sweater and a pair of lowrider jeans, a black thong peaked from the waist line of her jeans and she wore a pair of black boots, and gold hoop earrings.

"Christie, what's wrong?" Mina asked.

"You guys…I waited for Steve for an hour…and…and I get…get…this call from the hospital…and he's there! Grey put HIM IN THE HOSPITAL!" A fresh bout of sobs shook the Brazilian bombshell.

"What?" Xiao asked as she rose from her chair. "Is he…okay?"

"What did Grey do to him?" Kaori asked.

"Gave him a nasty concussion and broke a tooth…and the worst part of it is that Steve fell asleep on the way to the hospital!"

"Oh God," Julia put her hand to her mouth. "that's not…good…"

Julia knew that if one fell asleep during a concussion the results could be fatal…but Christie probably knew that already, and didn't need it reiterated.

"Let's get going then!" Asuka said all business.

"Right, but we gotta call the boys."

"Leave that to me. I'll call Jamie and meet you guys there." Mina said already dashing to her room…lamenting the fact that she left her damn cell phone in it's charger on the nightstand in her room.

"I'm not letting you walk downtown alone, I'll go with you!" Kaori said running behind her friend.

(New Scene)

"564…565…566…567…" Kyosuke Kazama grunted as he pounded his fist into the bark of the tree.

Already, he had put serious dents in it, and he was practically half way done with his exercise. At first, he hated doing this…but after the third time, he was beginning to see and feel the results. Punching the tree strengthened his fists, and after awhile it (sort of) stopped hurting.

After this exercise, he might call it a night…he was tired and was ready to go to bed. He wondered if Jamie made it to the training session…and if he had survived his surprise "encounter" with Billy…Kyo briefly wondered if he should spar with Jamie tonight? The two hadn't done so in awhile, and both had grown respectively stronger in the past week of the tournament.

Kyo decided that if Jamie wanted too then he would, and if not then it was cool. He could feel that the two would eventually be pitted together in the tournament…his grandfather could be cruel like that…both his brother and father warned him to watch for it.

Kyo was sure that it would be a great fight…but he wasn't exactly gung ho about wailing on one of his best friends…Kyosuke hadn't had many friends or family in his short lifetime…but in these tournaments he had made some lifelong friendships and Jamie Parker was one person that Kyo had considered to hold that coveted title of "best friend".

Kyo often marveled at how easy going and light hearted Jamie could be…he literally carried the responsibility of the world on his shoulders at times, and yet he would go out of his way to offer advice and help anyone in need…whether it was in a life or death situation…or the simple act of being a good listener, Jamie was always there.

"568…569…570…" Kyo continued.

"Watcha doin'?" Jamie asked casually.

Kyo wasn't surprised of the Nephilim's sudden appearance…he and Jamie could both sense each other from miles away.

"My…training…I hafta punch…this tree 1000 times a day…" Kyo said between pants.

"Ew why?" Jamie asked in mock disgust.

"Makes…fists stronger…and shut…up…" Kyo said with a grin.

"Oh…coolies…figured you'd have some wacky surprise for me like your cousin and father did." Jamie said coolly as he leaned against a tree.

"Guess…you survived it…573…" Kyo asked.

"Relatively unscathed…you won't believe how I beat your cousin." Jamie said.

"How…575…"

"It was totally awesome! I grabbed this coffee cup that I dropped and it was filled with hot chocolate and I ran up a tree, spun, and threw it right at his face!"

"Niiiccceee," Kyo said with a grin. "576…577…"

"So…do you ever lose count?"

"Don't…start…578…579…" Kyo warned.

A mischievous grin played on Jamie's face before putting his next thought in.

"So I go to withdraw money from my account today? And I found out that my brother borrowed three hundred dollars…so now I've got 500 dollars in my account…and so I called him, and he put the money back…because he had to buy an XBOX 360 and it was 300 dollars…and so he put the 300 dollars back, plus an extra 400 so now I've 3000 dollars in it…but it was crazy because I told him; 'you're a famous pro skater why do you need 300 dollars because you totally have 300 dollars to spare'"

Kyo knew what he was doing…Jamie was trying to confuse him by spouting off random numbers…and it was working.

"Jamie…I swear to God…" Kyo warned.

And suddenly, Kyo forgot… "JAMIE I'LL KILL YOU!"

The two ran through the woods laughing and lightly punching and kicking each other…before panting and leaning against a tree.

"And…don't worry…I counted…you're on 586…so go back to hitting your tree." Jamie said with a grin.

"You suck you know that?" Kyo asked.

"Hey, just defending my title as the Prank King."

"Yeah well don't you know never to piss off a Devil?"

"Probably as much as you know not to piss off an Angel." Jamie countered evenly.

"Jamie…" Kyo began. "About the tournament…I know we're probably going to fight…and I just want you to know that…" Kyo looked into Jamie's face. "I'm not going to back down…you're my friend, but I'm not going to go easy on you."

"Good," Jamie responded. "I'm not going easy on you either…I don't think we'd be such good friends if we did that…that's…that's pathetic…"

"Heihachi's gonna do it…I just know…"

"Yeah…no offense, but I really don't like your family."

Kyo chuckled. "Neither do I sometimes so don't worry about it."

"Well, I mean, I like Kazuya and Jin now…even though both have tried to kill me at some point…oh, and Asuka's cool, even though she also tried to kill me once…and Billy's gotten better."

"That's my family…you know we like you when we try to assassinate you."

Suddenly, through the trees burst Jin and Hwoarang…their eyes were wide and panicked.

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked.

"It's Steve…" Jin began.

"What's wrong? Is he okay?" Kyo asked.

"He's in the hospital!" Hwoarang said.

Author's Note: Okay…I know…kind of meaningless and senseless…but I wanted to add more of my humor into a chapter so I hope you liked it! Um…what else is new…next chapter will feature Grey and if Steve will be okay or not…and it will also feature Nina! So that's pretty cool! Oh, and a quick question to everybody who play's Resident Evil 4…I'm at this part where I'm playing as Ashley and there's this puzzle I can't solve with sliding blocks…any advice? Anyway, thanks for reading this…MUCH LOVE TO EVERYBODY AND PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	23. Chapter 23: Intervention

Chapter Twenty Three: Intervention

Author's Note: Back again with another chapter! I'm gonna kick this chapter into high gear with lots of action, twists, and turns so I hope you enjoy! Hm…not much is happening for me here lately…so I'm not exactly sure what else to say…but…OH…in this chapter Nina will make an appearance and so will another Tekken fighter…and Jamie's going to find out that not only does Heihachi want him dead…but a whole other group entirely!

Jamie Parker never liked hospitals; it was always some primal, child like fear that everyone seems born with…he had fought werewolves, devils and vampires…but one of the primary things that scared him the most was a harmless building meant to tend and heal the sick.

The last time he had been in one for surgery was when he had a fever of 108…he had been seventeen, and even though he was practically an adult…he always had to have someone with him in his room at night.

Of course, Justin was willing to do just that…he sat by his brother's bedside and wouldn't leave until Jamie was well enough to go home. Jamie remembered fondly that Mina, Robbie, and Maureen had also visited him…but not as often (as they did have school).

As Jamie and the others walked through the halls and corridors the Nephilim began to feel a sudden claustrophobia sink in…he didn't know why hospitals scared him so much…maybe it was because people died in them? Or maybe it was because in the basement they harvested organs, and cut up dead bodies?

His heart rate began to pick up, and his breathing started to get erratic…

Panic had begun to set in.

Still, Jamie willed himself to press on…he couldn't let an irrational fear like this one stop him from seeing a good friend of his…Jamie longed for a distraction…any kind of distraction…so he began to think about who had done this.

Grey…

This was it…Jamie had put up with all of Grey's shit for far too long…if it was another fight he wanted, then Jamie would give it to him. Grey had fractured Steve's ribs…well then Jamie was going to fracture Grey's face!

The doctor's lead Jamie and the others into a rather dismal and depressing room; the walls were painted a rather nasty shade of green…and Jamie could feel the angst radiating off the walls.

"Steve!" Christie cried.

Ensconced in the center of the room was a bed which housed the British boxer…one of his eyes was swollen shut and he had white bandages around his chest…Steve was hooked up to several monitors that beeped on occasion…a bag of morphine hung suspended over his bed and it dripped periodically into a tube.

"…hey guys…" Steve whispered.

"Are you alright Steve?" Jin asked stepping forward…concern showing on his face.

"Obviously not Kazama he's in a fucking hospital bed!" Hwoarang shouted.

"I'm just trying to-" Jin began.

"Guys, let's not do this!" Xiao sighed.

"Steve…did Grey do this to you?" A voice asked.

Everyone turned to see Detective Lei Wulong standing in the threshold.

"Yeah…" Steve coughed. "That lil' bastard's powerful considerin' he's about as skinny as a rail."

Lei sighed, and when he did, his long ponytail swished back and forth…Jamie personally liked Lei a lot…the poor guy always just seemed down on his luck. He looked like he'd had a rough evening as his clothes were rumpled…his once white office shirt had yellow stains on it, and his tie was slightly askew…Jamie also noticed the distinct odor of beer and sake wafting off his clothes.

Add to the fact that his eyes looked as if they had been sprayed by kerosene…

Lei looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Are you okay Officer Wulong?" Xiao asked, stepping over to touch his shoulder.

Apparently, Xiao and Lei were close friends.

"I've been doing a little investigative work on this Douglas Greyson…and I don't understand it…he hasn't even spent a decade in martial arts? Most of the fighter's have been training all their lives? And how is it that Heihachi Mishima took an interest in him?" Lei mused.

Jamie glanced nervously over to Mina and she exchanged his look…they knew where Lei was getting at…Grey's martial arts history sounded awfully similar to Jamie's…and right now, Jamie didn't have the time or the energy to come up with a good enough lie on the spot.

"In fact Mr. Parker," Lei said pointed to Jamie.

"Me?" Jamie squeaked.

"You've only been taking martial arts for three years…why is it that you and Grey have progressed so far in this tournament and taken out people who have spent their whole lives training and yet, you both have such little experience on your own?"

"Well…" Jamie began, looking for something…anything to say…

"Kazuya beat him!" Julia interrupted.

"Yes but-"

"Hey Jamie…look at all this…**latex** in here!" Kyo said loudly.

Apparently, Kyosuke remembered the conversation that he and the girls had had about Jamie's rather strange allergy.

"Yeah Jamie…you'd better be careful because aren't you highly allergic to **latex**?" Julia chimed in.

"You're right…I'm starting to feel a bit sick…I need some air." Jamie said as he scratched his arm convincingly, and pretended to dry heave as he staggered out of the room and towards the bathroom in the hall.

As he walked, his heightened hearing heard Lei sigh and leave a strange tidbit of information.

"No one takes me seriously! I'm a cop damnit and I deserve respect! I tried to question Nina Williams earlier about what Grey did to Steve and she just walked out on me!"

"Nina…" Jamie whispered to himself.

Whenever Jamie Parker thought of the mind…he always assumed that it was like a huge H.G. Wells, 19th century machine complete with whirring cogs, steam, bells and whistles…and for some reason…the wheels in his head began to turn.

_Lei told Nina what Grey did to Steve…she walked out…Nina is Steve's biological mother…Nina is a highly paid contract assassin…Grey is a pissed off emo kid with superpowers who brutally maimed her son…both have volatile tempers…then this could only mean…_

"Oh God!" Jamie's eyes widened in surprise as his mind deduced the scenario at hand.

Lei was watching him leave, so Jamie had no choice but to enter the bathroom…as he did he turned the water on in the sink and stared at it going down the faucet.

"Grey's gonna kill Nina unless I get to them first…" He whispered. "I've gotta save her!"

Suddenly, the door to the men's room opened and Jamie turned to see Hwoarang, Jin, Kyo and Kazuya enter.

"Did you guys hear what Lei said?" Jamie asked.

"Phft…Lei says a lot of things, none of them important." Hwoarang snorted.

Jamie ignored the comment. "Lei said that Nina was here and left when she found out about Grey!"

"What's wrong with that Jamie?" Jin asked.

"I'd personally like to see Grey get his ass kicked by a contract assassin…and I'd figure you would too." Kyo reasoned as he leaned against the bathroom's paper towel dispenser.

"Nina can handle herself Jamie believe me; I'd be more worried about Grey," Kazuya shrugged his shoulders. "Only problem is I'm not."

"That's not the point," Jamie argued. "The point is…wait a second, did you just use a witty pun?" Jamie asked looking quizzically at Kazuya.

"Don't get used to it…and if there's a point Jamie I think you should make it soon." Kazuya shot back.

"Okay…Nina may have been in all the tournaments…and she may be this cool female spy assassin girl…but Grey is…something that we're not even sure of; I mean, twice he's kicked my ass without even trying, and he didn't seem to chip his black nail polish when he gave Steve, the middleweight champion of the world a concussion and three fractured ribs." Jamie argued.

"So…you say we should go after her? Why?" Hwoarang asked.

"Because she hasn't tried to kill or maim me or any of my friends yet, so that makes her okay in my book." Jamie replied evenly.

"Alright, I'll go tell everyone that we need to find her," Jin began.

"No," Jamie interrupted. "I'm doing this alone...Lei will think it's suspicious if we all duck out at the same time…just tell him…tell him I had a reaction to the latex and got sick or something." He finished.

"But how will you get out? I mean-" Kyo began.

But all Kyo had been speaking too was air…for Jamie had quickly jumped out of the small window and into the alley below…

(New Scene)

Nina William's cold blue eyes stared straight ahead of her as she walked boldly through the street's of downtown Tokyo. Her blonde hair was tied back in a no nonsense ponytail, and a few errant strands brushed through her eyes. She wasn't exactly sure why she was doing what she was doing…letting her emotions get ahold of her as they were…Nina had always prided herself on having full control over her feelings.

She had always gone through most of her life emotionally numb…some might have perceived this to be unhealthy, but Nina wouldn't have had it any other way. Emotions got in the way…she had killed many in her line of work…and over time, she had not only learned to stop caring…

But also to stop counting.

And yet, here she was, acting purely on emotion…her so-…well someone she cared about…probably the only person in her whole life that she actually cared for, was brutally attacked and hurt.

Normally, none of this would have bothered the Irish Assassin…and the rational side of her was arguing this point to the other part of her conscience that was listening to her heart. This was a fighting tournament, people got hurt, and most of the participants in this badly acted farce weren't exactly the most emotionally stable…Steve had been lucky that he wasn't dead.

But…he was…Steve…her Steve…her…_son_…and he was hurt! Nina knew that she hadn't exactly been the best mother to her son…and she also knew that she couldn't have helped it, as, for the longest time she didn't even know she had a son…but still…all mothers should come through for their children.

Nina knew that she would have to make up a lot of lost time for Steve…at one time she had almost killed him! And to return the favor, he had tackled that incompetent rent-a-cop which gave her a chance to escape.

Well, it was too late for Nina to be the traditional mom and bake Steve cookies, and attend all his sporting events or recitals…but maybe, with this; she could not only make it up to him…but in some way start justifying what she had done to him.

This…Douglas Greyson was going to pay…Nina wasn't going to thrash him though…he deserved much more then that…she had seen him during this tournament, but known about him for a few months now. Certain people wanted him dead.

Nina hadn't taken the job at killing Greyson because in addition to his bounty, these certain people also wanted the head of the Nephilim…and Nina wasn't going to kill him. Nina had been around death for a very long time, and most of the people she killed didn't deserve life.

They had been rapists, human traffickers, mob bosses and the like…but Nina always had the utmost respect for people who selflessly gave their lives for others…which Jamie Parker the Nephilim did on a daily basis…she wouldn't kill him.

Besides, the Ritual of Triumvarence couldn't commence if one third of it's participants was dead could it? Nina heard the throbbing techno of the club and entered it. She had made an arrangement with the bouncer, who led her to a private VIP room that overlooked the throngs of dancers.

Nina opened a case underneath a set of chairs and began to assemble her rifle…it only took her a few seconds to chamber the weapon. She shouldered the rifle and looked through it's scope…there, in the very center of the floor, was Douglas "Grey" Greyson.

He looked as happy as ever grinding in time with the music with a handful of his groupies…some women, some men it didn't matter. His long fringe of hair whipped back and forth and revealed his liquid, eyeliner traced eyes, and pierced eyebrow/ He smiled as he danced showing pearly white teeth and three bottom lip rings…this was truly his heaven.

He was handsome, Nina would give him that much…well, handsome in that gothic sort of way…if he tried to pull off any other type of style, he'd probably look unattractive…well, in a matter of seconds, pieces of Grey's handsome face would be spattered all over the dance floor and on his adoring fans.

Nina refocused her target, and breathed in astonishment…she had lost him! How! Where did he- and suddenly, Nina felt something slam in the back of her head.

Quickly, she turned and smacked the butt of her rifle…it hit it's target…her attackers cheek…finally, she got a good visual…and saw Grey standing over her, blood trickling down his mouth.

"Oh, look who it is!" He said with a grin as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Mommy dearest."

(New Scene)

"You're incredible…I owe you my life!" The cowering man said from underneath the dumpster.

"Don't worry about it…get outta here before that gang comes back." Jamie said as he helped the young man (who looked only a few years older then himself) up and saw him run down the main streets.

Apparently, Grey and his cronies had figured that Jamie would go after Nina, so they sent a few obstacles of the fanged variety to keep him busy. Jamie sighed and dusted off his shorts.

"I feel like a new Nephilim." He said sarcastically as he checked his surroundings, "so…if I was a pissed off emo kid bent on murder and world destruction where would I go?" Jamie asked.

He jogged through the streets, and as he did, he found himself close to the club districts. Jamie remembered watching some of Grey's interviews…and in each one he always talked about "gettin' Crunk in the clubs"…and Grey was one of those people who liked to celebrate doing bodily harm to people by dancing.

Unfortunately, Jamie wasn't exactly familiar with this side of town…and besides, Jamie was more into bars then dance clubs anyway…the music and the people all around him made him more then a bit claustrophobic…but he visited them on occasion with his friends. His sojourn through the unfamiliar territory brought him to a dead end…and he wondered what to do next.

"Nina's counting on me," Jamie sighed. "And she could die all because I've got a bad sense of direction!"

Well, he wasn't totally off…his Nephilim senses were tingling, and he could feel Nina's presence close…and he could also feel Grey's.

"Hm…I could probably push that dumpster underneath that fire escape, hop on the roof and find them easier that way…" Jamie mused aloud.

Deciding that this was the best course of action, Jamie began the cumbersome task of moving the dumpster…it was so filled with trash that it would have been virtually unmovable by any mortal…but Jamie could…it was just incredibly heavy.

Grunting under the strain Jamie only pushed it a few feet when he noticed a peculiar red dot streak across the ground. Jamie wondered what it was, but it looked like those dots used by laser pointers…his Geometry Professor at school had used one in their big lecture hall, and class clowns back in high school had used them to torment teachers…but what was it doing here?

Suddenly, Jamie noticed that the dot was snaking it's way up his sneakered feet, legs and chest before coming to rest directly inbetween his eyes.

_What the…that's so weird what-_

A loud bang from inside the building rattled through the night sky and Jamie did a clumsy leap backwards…if he hadn't had supernatural speed, he would surely have been dead; Jamie crabwalked backwards looking desperately for the sniper, before getting to his feet. The beam began it's erratic journey again as Jamie sprinted desperately away…chips of concrete exploded at the exact spot where Jamie stood a second ago.

_Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod_

Jamie thought desperately as he ran from the beam…he didn't have time to continue pushing the dumpster…but maybe he could take a running leap? He'd have to, or he'd be dead. Pumping out full Nephilim speed Jamie hopped on the dumpster and leapt off at the last second…his arms full out in front of his face like superman.

Another shot was fired…and Jamie grunted as the bullet grazed across his thigh. With a sudden jarring in his bones, Jamie realized that he had grabbed the last rung on the ladder. Desperately, he pulled himself up, and shot up the ladder as fast as he could.

Sparks flew as yet another shot missed and hit the medal rung just below him…Jamie couldn't afford to stop, the whole time he wondered who was shooting at him? And how many more rounds were left in the gun? Obviously, the mysterious shooter didn't have to reload anytime soon.

It was times like these that Jamie wished he knew more about guns…after watching his parents killed by one, he refused to use them…but he supposed it wouldn't have hurt to actually know how many rounds a certain one held…or other kinds of fun facts like that.

Three more rounds were fired, sparks and brick dust assaulted Jamie as he clambered up the ladder and desperately, he pulled himself up; however, the Nephilim wasn't out of the woods yet…he needed to find cover and fast. He found it in a utility shed on the other side of the roof…he half ran half stumbled towards it, and ducked behind the small shed.

Jamie drew his knees up to his chin and waited...he strained his ears, and he finally heard the sound of footsteps walking away…he drew in a sigh and let his heartbeat quiet down to a dull roar.

"Okay…breathe…relax…the worst is over…"

"GAH!" A cry shot through the night.

"And here it comes again…" Jamie said sarcastically as he pulled himself up.

Three rooftops over he found Nina Williams engaged in a pretty fierce hand to hand combat scenario with Grey…both looked incredibly tired, beaten and bruised. Jamie noticed that Nina was defiantly holding her own, Grey was tired…but so was Nina!

"God will you do me a favor soccer mom and just DIE ALREADY!" Grey asked through pants.

"You talk too much Grey." Nina countered as she delivered three precise strikes to Grey's chest.

"Y'know Nina? You're almost too pretty to kill…but not quite." He said as he preformed a jumping front snap kick to Nina's face.

Nina staggered backwards and fell to her knees.

"Say goodnight bitch!" Grey said as he raised his fist in the air.

"Goodnight bitch!" Jamie Parker replied with a smile as he grabbed Grey's fist from behind…he flung Grey over him and he landed with a thud against the ground.

"What the hell are you doing here? Don't you have girl scouts to save…or a runaway baby carriage to stop or something?"

"Nah," Jamie said. "I'm kinda free tonight, so I thought I'd give you an ass whoopin'"

"Go away Nephilim…I've got an assassin bitch to kill!"

"See that's the problem, it looks like I can kick your ass without even trying…Nina's laid into you pretty damn good and I won't have to exert a muscle. I'm still alive and kicking…and it looks to me like you're just alive." Jamie said.

Grey's eyes glinted with a cold hatred. "I will kill you both…by the end of this tournament both of you will pay for your sins."

"Oh…mmkay, ya see, that's my department…I'm officially God's right hand…and right now it's definitely giving you the finger."

"I will eat popcorn and watch you bleed Nephilim." Grey said as he limped away and jumped off the roof.

"Run along then." Jamie said.

He helped Nina up and had her lean against him for support. "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" Nina said coldly as she pushed away and brushed herself off.

"Hey, look I know you're all about doing everything on your own…but if I hadn't come around you'd be a grease stain on the pavement."

"I know…" Nina sighed. "And I appreciate it…I have a great amount of respect for you…and you're a good friend to Steve."

"Oh…" Jamie began. "Is…this what this is about?"

"Yeah," Nina sighed. "I know I'm a terrible mother but…but I had to do something."

"Listen, Grey actually looked scared when he fought you…I've never seen him that weak or upset."

"I don't need a therapist. I appreciate what you're trying to do but I don't need it!" Nina said coolly as she began walking towards the edge of the roof.

"Then let's make a deal!" Jamie called.

Nina stopped and turned.

"Leave Grey to me…but I need you to do me a favor…I need to know who else wants me dead…I know Heihachi wouldn't try to have me shot to death, and that's just what I dealt with about ten minutes ago."

"Raven…" Nina muttered so low even Jamie couldn't hear it.

"Huh?" Jamie asked.

"Leave it to me!" Nina said as she jumped off the roof.

"Great…" Jamie chuckled. "someone else is trying to kill me and I don't even know who it is…it's not like I'm wearing my pin that says 'I'm the Nephilim! Ask me how!'"

Author's Note: Sorry this is so late…I know I promised that I'd have had it yesterday morning, but I ran into some comp trouble and now am officially ready to deliver you the next chappie! Hope you enjoyed PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	24. Chapter 24: Misunderstood

Chapter Twenty Four: Misunderstood

The air stank of cheap beer, stale popcorn, sweat, and cold hot dogs as Jamie Parker wondered exactly what he was doing here.

"What am I doing here?" Jamie asked, over the roar of the crowd.

"King is on fire during this tournament…there's a chance that he could take the crown." Jin said practically.

"Yeah right." Hwoarang snorted.

"Don't be so sure, he's been training really hard." Julia argued.

"And besides, Marduk tends to bring out the angry, pissed off warrior in us all." Asuka said cheerfully while Xiao laughed.

"Who knows, depending on this outcome, you might be fighting King tomorrow Jamie." Xiao said wisely…who lately, had become like a big sister to the Nephilim.

"Can't wait," Jamie began sarcastically as he slumped in his chair. "King or Marduk…huh? Psychotic wrestlers are my favorites."

"Hey." A person from behind Jamie in the stands called harshly. "You'd better watch what you say."

Jamie turned and stared at the young man behind him. "Excuse me?"

He looked Hispanic and around Jamie's age, his brown eyes glinted with such ferocity at the Nephilim that he himself seemed taken aback.

"Don't you compare King to that murderer Marduk…King fights for a worthy cause…he fights for children all over the world, Marduk just fights so he can hurt people."

"Look bro…I'm sorry…" Jamie said half heartedly.

"Yeah well, make sure you know what someone's fighting for before you judge them."

"I could say the same thing about you." Jamie said with a raise of his eyebrow.

"You're Jamie Parker right, Justin Parker's kid brother?"

_I don't think you have the right to call me kid…you look about as old as I do…_

"Yeah; that's me."

"Hmph…figured as much." The mysterious young man said before getting out of his chair.

"What's his problem?" Hwoarang asked.

"I dunno…I've never seen him before; he's not a competitor is he?"

"No idea." Kyo added.

"Whatever…another nasty person and it's another Friday night in the King of Iron Fist Tournament…seriously, I don't need another person pissed at me during this tournament, I've got Billy and Kazuya for that." Jamie responded flippantly before focusing his attention at the match below.

The fight took place in a traditional boxing ring, and Jamie and the others sat in one of the top rows…the announcer called the fight and it began. The crowd roared in jubilation as King and Marduk rushed at each other. Jamie had to admit too, that he felt caught up with the crowd's excitement.

Suddenly, Jamie felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, quickly, he took it out of his pocket and checked the number on the small screen…it came up unlisted, but the Nephilim felt like he needed to answer it.

Quickly, he headed out of the stands and into the lobby; Jamie flipped open his phone on the last ring and answered it.

"Hello?"

"It's Nina…I have some news. It's not Raven." Nina's calm, cool voice flooded Jamie's ear.

"What!" Jamie asked in disbelief.

"His name is Peter Colon; he's an American."

"So…why would he want to kill me? What do we know about him?"

"I did a background check on him. He's King's adopted son apparently."

"Wait…and his name is Peter…where is he right now?" Jamie asked.

"I don't know, but my guess would have to be that he's watching his father's fight."

"Okay, I guess I'll go back to my previous point; why does he want to kill me?"

"It has to do with this Ritual of Triumvarence that you, Grey and Mina are a part of. Essentially-"

"Oh don't worry, I know…apparently I'll end the world…only problem with that is that I absolutely refuse." Jamie retorted.

"Look, I don't know much about it…but this whole ritual has got a lot of influential people in the world sweating it out."

"It'd be nice to know more about it though…but Julia's working on cracking that disc that Kyo and I stole from Abel's apartment."

"I wouldn't rely on just that one disk though. This is a big chunk of the Zaibatsu's research…apparently, Lee's a big hand in this project…you might find some more information at his mansion."  
"Well…Grey invited us to a huge pool party at Lee's mansion tomorrow…it's most likely a trap though, so I'd bring a weapon in addition to your bathing suit." Jamie said with a chuckle.

"I always do," Nina laughed. "Anyway, I'll leave you to handle Peter…good luck."

"Thanks Nina, but I don't think he's such a bad guy…I honestly think he's gotten the wrong impression of me is all."

"Let's hope your right." Nina said.

"Alright, good by-" But Jamie was interrupted by the loud, monotone sound of a dial tone.

The Nephilim sighed and leaned against the hard concrete wall…he snapped his phone shut and put it in his pocket. He wondered what he should do now…to go sit back and watch the match seemed pointless…he wondered if he should head back to the hotel and tell Kazuya and the others about the latest turn of events before he forgot.

He supposed he should…but he wanted to nip this Peter issue in the bud before it got any worse. Heihachi and Grey were one thing…but he couldn't afford to have another assassin gunning for him.

And who knows? Maybe this Peter guy would know more about this ritual. Prophecies were tricky creatures, and besides, if Jamie was to bring about the apocalypse, then he at least wanted to know exactly what he was doing.

Jamie was about to tell the others that he was leaving…it was never his style to pull that whole "lone wolf warrior macho" bullshit…besides, most Nephilim who tried that ended up dead…and Jamie Parker hadn't lived through these past three years by going by his ego.

He turned, and began jogging back up the stairs; Jamie was halfway up them when he noticed Peter walking down them at the same time as he was going up. Brown eyes met blue…and as cheesy as it sounded, it felt like one of those moments in movies where everything seems to go in slow motion as the two gave each other the stare down.

Finally, the world reverted to normal as Peter quickly jogged down the stairs. Jamie stood for a second watching him, letting him gain some distance before the Nephilim decided to follow.

"Guess talking to the gang's out for now…better take care of this Peter thing before it gets any worse…"

(New Scene)

(A/N: This section is told from Peter's perspective and what he's been told…it's all lies but he doesn't know it yet)

Peter Colon hated this.

If there was one thing that he wasn't sure he could do it was this.

Still, he had come this far, there was no way he would back down now. He wasn't particularly fond of killing, but it was for the best.

After all, Jamie Parker was evil.

His contact had told him so…a scientist named Doctor Abel had told him everything about what Jamie was. About how he was genetically superior and bred to bring about the world's end.

Peter couldn't believe it…had almost laughed at the possibility…after all, Jamie Parker was the younger brother of world renowned skate boarder Justin Parker (whom Peter admired). Jamie was fairly famous in the martial arts and extreme sports circuit…Peter had seen Jamie on the X-Games since he was about eleven.

And besides, Jamie didn't look at all like he was plotting the world's destruction. With his long blonde hair, and surfer/skater good looks, Jamie looked like he was a kid who belonged on the OC or Laguna Beach. He looked as if he was more concerned about catching a wave or busting a rail slide rather then plotting man kind's demise.

"But in the end times the Anti-Christ will come in a form that no one will expect and destroy all that is good."

And that's what Abel had said that Jamie was…the Anti-Christ…and if he completed this Ritual of Triumvarence, then Hell would be unleased on Earth. It made sense...Jamie was faster and stronger then others…and he hung around Jin and Kazuya…who had _devil's _living in them for God's sake!

Peter didn't like killing…he had never done it before…but the vast sums of money Abel had promised for the Anti-Christ's death would help Peter and his step father further aid the children of the world.

Peter may not have all those super powers…but he wasn't entirely defenseless either…he'd trained quite extensively in martial arts, and here lately, had trained with the sniper rifle.

Jamie was fast…too fast actually for Peter's untrained eyes from the night before, but he was confident that he'd catch Jamie this time.

He may have had a lot of power…but Jamie wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed...thank God for small favors…apparently, that dumb blonde stigma worked for the guys as well as the girls…and Peter knew he could lure the Anti-Christ out to follow him easily.

Last night, he had been tempted to help Doctor Abel's protégé named Douglas Greyson, he had been attacked by that assassin Nina Williams…Grey, who Abel explained was a Nephilim…a young man called to fight demons and the forces of darkness…which was strange, because if Peter pictured anyone as the Anti-Christ it would've been Grey with his style of dress.

Still, Peter wasn't going to judge…he hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Grey officially yet…all he knew was that he was indirectly involved with this whole ritual thing…as was an innocent girl in the tournament named Mina.

Suddenly, Peter heard footsteps patter down the alleyway…quickly he crouched behind a barrel with his rifle shouldered…sure enough, Jamie had jogged in the alley, he slowed to a gradual halt and looked around.

"Hm…where'd he go?" Jamie asked himself.

Suddenly, Jamie saw that familiar damn red dot peer out from behind a group of dumpsters, it settled quickly on Jamie's chest, but Jamie jumped out the way just as a shot cracked off…instead of splattering the Nephilim's chest and guts all over the brick wall, it exploded against barrel's full of gas.

Crimson flames exploded as the barrels combusted behind Jamie…to Peter's surprise, he didn't see fear in his enemy's eyes…more like annoyance at the inconvenience.

"Ohwuh!" Jamie said in annoyance as he jumped up and ran towards Peter's hiding spot.

Quickly, Peter kicked out one of the empty dumpsters and it jettisoned towards Jamie with the speed of a train. If it were to hit him, then it would knock him straight into the raging inferno behind him!

Jamie leapt over the dumpster and in the blink of an eye was on Peter. The young man smacked Jamie with the butt of his rifle. Peter placed the rifle in one hand as Jamie reeled from the blow…but he quickly turned, and put Peter into a painful wrist lock.

"Bit of advice; guns never solve any problems." Jamie said as he side kicked Peter in the back.

As Peter stumbled forward, Jamie opened the rifle and unloaded the chamber. Gilded bullets tingled against the floor and the Nephilim moved to kick Peter…he hit his target against his enemy's temple, but Peter decked him hard in the gut.

"Oof…" Both grunted and fell at the same time.

Quickly, they leapt up at the same time and began to fight again, Peter's moves were very methodical and precise, while Jamie tended to be a bit more wild and improvisational. Jamie blocked Peter's punches expertly…for awhile, until Peter managed to kick him hard in the chest.

"Give it up Hellspawn I studied all your moves!"

"Yeah? Study this!" Jamie called as he head butted Peter in the face.

While Peter was reeling, Jamie quickly walked over to Peter and punched him in the face…deadly hand to hand combat ensued as the two combatants moved closer and closer to the inferno…finally, it turned into a deadly game of mercy…with Peter on the losing end.

"You can kill me…but the Nephilim will finish you off." Peter said angrily.

"Wait…what?" Jamie asked.

So bewildered was he that Jamie actually let Peter go and stared at him wide eyed…his eyes glittered with a mixture of hatred and confusion.

"What…what did you say?" Jamie asked quietly.

"I said that the Nephilim'll kill you hellspawn evil if you kill me! The Nephilim will-"

"Stop saying Nephilim…I'm the goddamn Nephilim!" Jamie said angrily.

He let Peter go and shut his eyes.

Peter knew that he should have killed Jamie then…just kicked him into the fire and be done with it…but the way Jamie was acting…how shocked and bewildered he seemed…it merited at least a bit of conversation.

"Impossible…you're the one who's going to bring the world's demise…Grey is the Nephilim."

"What?" Jamie asked. "Look…scenario okay? We stop this fighting…you don't go all wiggy, and we go to my friends and sort this out."

"Wiggy?" Peter asked.

"Yeah," Jamie said between pants. "Y'know…no kicko no fighto."

Peter wasn't sure what he was supposed to think…but Doctor Abel had said that Jamie was evil, and that he would surely attempt to kill Peter at first site…but Peter didn't feel as if Jamie was evil…he seemed so nice, and although they always said that the Anti-Christ would be hard to spot…but Jamie just seemed so damn…nice…

"Alright," Peter dropped his stance. "I'll take you up on your scenario."


	25. Chapter 25: What's my Line

Chapter Twenty Five: What's My Line?

A/N: Peter Colon is Junking's character…you should read his stuff because it's good!

"Absolutely not!" Kazuya said slamming his fist down on the wooden table. "You're the Nephilim! Lives depend on you! What you're doing is absolute madness!" He finished by pointing his finger accusingly at Jamie.

"Ooookay…" Jamie said, wearing a pair of red board shorts and a tanktop. "so I guess the red board shorts are out."

"You should wear the blue ones," Mina offered. "They look better on you and they match your eyes." She sat on the edge of the bed with one leg draped across the other.

"How many board shorts do you actually own Jamie?" Kyo asked.

"Can we talk about something else please?" Peter asked from the threshold.

"Okay…jeez…" Billy said.

"I like him. He's directly to the point." Kazuya said.

"Yeah and he also tried to kill me." Jamie added tempestuously.

"All the more reason…" Kazuya shot back.

"Alright…nobody kills my favorite Nephilim." Hwoarang said glancing at Peter. "Who the fuck are you?"  
"Did you know you can learn a lot about a person's intelligence by how many times they curse? It looks like the extent of your vocabulary doesn't go beyond four letter words." Peter replied.

A hushed silence fell across the room, Hwoarang stared Peter down.

"Listen to me…you've threatened one of my best friends…you've almost killed him twice, and the only thing stopping me from kicking you out this window is the fact that Jamie says this is all a big misunderstanding…so watch your mouth!"

"You do owe some explanations Peter…we want to know why you were working for Doctor Abel and Heihachi." Xiaoyu said.

"I'm King's adopted son," Peter began.

A hushed silence fell across the room.

"I didn't know King had a son." Julia said.

"No one knows much about King." Jin agreed.

"He's one of the most overlooked fighter's in this whole tournament…and it's funny how he's also the least selfish as well-"

"Yeah," Jamie interrupted. "We all know that King saves the children and that's cool but we really need to know-"

"Is that all you can do?" Peter shouted, getting into Jamie's face. "Trash people and make jokes when things go wrong? King fights for a cause! I've read your biography, all you want out of this tournament is to break out of your brother's shadow-"

"Hey! Listen to me brain trust!" Jamie shouted back. "I'm the Nephilim, that's a cover story! I can't go around and tell everyone that I'm here to save the world and prevent the world from being sucked into hell! I've nearly died twice for this cause, and I don't think you have the right to tell people that they're not fighting for the right reasons!" Jamie finished shouting.

The room fell silent…even Jamie was surprised…he hardly ever yelled…most of the time he dealt with things calmly and collectively. He sighed and shook his head.

"Look…I'm sorry okay…I'm just a little frazzled alright? Apparently, I'm bringing about the destruction of the world after saving it for three years…I just need to know what's going on and no one seems to know what I'm going to do." Jamie ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I don't know anything about this ritual Jamie…I just took the job because they said you were evil." Peter said a little more softly.

Mina chuckled. "Yeah well Jamie isn't evil…you might want to check your backgrounds before you pick up your…blood money!" She finished disgustedly as she stormed off.

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kazuya shouted.

The room fell quiet, before Jin spoke.

"Father's right; we can't argue about Peter's situation…he's sorry, it was a misunderstanding and we have to move on."

"You're right." Jamie said. "I'm sorry Peter." The Nephilim offered his hand.

"It's alright man; I'm sorry too." Peter responded as he shook his hand.

"Okay…now that the WB teen drama is over, tell us what you know Peter?" Julia asked with her hands folded at the desk.

"All I know is what Abel told me; that Grey was the Nephilim and Jamie was the Anti-Christ and that Mina was an innocent girl…and, apparently, that they are all involved in this ritual that will bring hell on earth…they're very guarded about this thing."

"That's father's style…almost all of his employees never know what exactly they're fighting for…that's why the Tekken Force is so loyal." Kazuya said.

"Loyal? More like motivated." Jin snorted.

"Motivated?" Jamie inquired.

"Yeah, would you want to tell Heihachi Mishima that you couldn't do what he wanted?" Xiao asked.

"That's actually very true…" Hwoarang said.

"So…I guess the next point is what we're going to do tomorrow…and I'm going to that party." Jamie said firmly.

"C'mon Jamie, you know a trap when you see one…and that's what this is…a big fat trap!" Hwoarang argued.

"Nothin' doin' Hwoarang," Jamie crossed his arms. "This is supposed to be the Iron Fist's premiere party…and besides, Nina told me that Lee might have another disk at his house…which, by coincidence is exactly where that party is supposed to be."

"Not all of us should go though." Peter advised.

"Good idea; we'll figure out who goes and who stays later." Jin said.

"At anyrate…I suppose this meeting is adjourned for the night." Kazuya replied.

"Yeah; that sounds good I guess…I'm going to go talk to Mina." Jamie said with a yawn and a stretch.

"Sounds good…I'm kinda tired but I'm going to see Kaori first." Kyo agreed.

(New Scene)

The angsty, throaty voice of Kelly Clarkson blared over the stereo in Kim Seung Mina and Kaori's room…Behind These Hazel Eyes was playing…a deciding factor that Mina was angry…whenever Avril Lavigne or Kelly Clarkson were being played, it always meant that Mina was angry, depending on how annoyed she was, would determine how loud the volume would be set.

Right now, Kelly was singing on full blast.

"God I can't believe I did that…" Mina sighed as she lay on her stomach on Jamie's bed.

"Mina…c'mon now, you can't beat yourself up over this." Kaori responded.

"I know that Kaori…but I mean-"

"You're not Super woman Mina…you did what any girl would do in the same situation…I mean…put aside the whole Nephilim and 'destined to die' issue and you're doing what any good girlfriend would do. Someone was trashing your boyfriend and you stood up to him." Kaori advised.

"It's just…I stared directly into the face of the man who tried to kill the person I love…and, as weird as it sounds…if he had apologized and left it at that then I would have been fine…as long as Jamie forgave him, I would have too…he's got enough on his plate already…I…I can't burden him with my feelings either…it's just that…once he called Jamie selfish I just…I lost it." Mina added.

"Sorta makes me wish I was there." Kaori added. "I'd probably have stuck up for Jamie too…but from what you tell me, he was given the wrong information."

"Yeah, Peter was…and he was also led to believe that all Jamie cared about doing in this tournament was breaking out of Justin's shadow."

"Oh…" Kaori winced. "That lame cover story?"

"Yeah," Mina chuckled. "I'm surprised anyone really believes it either…but it's the best that we could come up with at three in the morning the day before we were supposed to leave."

"And that's when Peter called Jamie selfish right?"

"Yeah, and that's when the 'shit hit the fan' as they say…Jamie blew up…I blew up…Hwoarang blew up…I just got so upset…how dare he call him selfish? He fights for countless people's lives and-"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Mina, it's Jamie open up!"

"And Kyo…don't forget about me!"

"Listen; I know you're upset…I can tell because you're blasting some hardcore Kelly Clarkson…but you might want to turn it down and let me in before you get us all kicked out of this hotel!" Jamie responded.

In spite of it all, Mina managed to crack a smile and laugh.

"Should we let them in?" Kaori asked through giggles.

"Yeah…I think so." Mina said.

Kaori opened the door and the girl's boyfriend's ambled in the room.

"MY EARS! MY EARS! I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE OF THIS CRAP!" Jamie howled as he stumbled around holding his hands against the side of his head.

"I'll save you Jamie!" Kyo called.

The young Kazama ran to the stereo and shut the stereo off.

"Ah…" Jamie sighed. "That's better."

"So…what'd I miss after my grand teen drama exit?" Mina asked sarcastically as she wiped her eyes.

"Yeah, fill me in too! I swear, I run to the store to get some soda for Steve and nail polish for Christie and I miss a meeting and get completely out of the loop."

"Jamie and Peter are on good terms now…he apologized…and get your swim suit ready for tomorrow-" Kyo began.

"Oh," Kaori's eyes got wide. "So we're going to Grey's pool party?"

"Yeah…and possibly certain death…but not in that order." Jamie replied sarcastically.

"It's also somewhat of a reconnaissance mission…there might be another disk with more information on the ritual at Lee's house." Kyo added.

"Well that's good…I bought a new sarong the other day, and some cute flip flops so I can wear those…" Mina began, mulling over her outfit choices.

"I didn't know you bought new stuff." Jamie replied.

"Yeah," Mina replied. "Want me to show you?" She added half joking.

"I most certainly do!" Jamie replied. "Everyone out!"

"C'mon Kyo," Kaori said as she laughed. "Let's go to your room, I'll give you your own fashion show."

"But you don't have any other clothes except the one's your wearing." Kyo said with a half smile.

"Exactly." Kaori responded simply.

The two left the room, but before the door closed, Peter walked into the threshold.

"Um…hi…I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

Now…Jamie Parker wondered how exactly to approach this…he could have been nasty and said yes…but, Jamie wasn't nasty, he was a nice guy.

"No." He responded with a smile.

"I um…I wanted to apologize to you Miss Mina…it was wrong of me to say those things…and I hope you can forgive me." Peter said softly.

"Peter." Mina began seriously as she rose up to face him. "As long as Jamie forgives you then I forgive you too…and I'm sorry for the way I acted too…I'm normally not that bitchy…really…I'm not!" She said with a chuckle.

Jamie coughed and muttered. "My ass!"

Mina gave a mock sigh and hit him. "Jamie Parker! You know me! I'm a calm, cool, collected girl!"

Peter chuckled too, but then looked at the two seriously. "So…you guys forgive me?"

"Yes," Mina said with a smile. "We forgive you Peter…welcome to the club!" She finished with a hug.

"And…I hate to be mean Peter…but-" Jamie began.

"Oh…" Peter began before his eyes widened. "OH! Okay then…I'll leave you two to it then."

"Thanks bro," Jamie said with a pat on Peter's arm and a wink. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"No…you won't...King needs me to visit a Japanese orphanage, but I'll try to stop by if anything interesting happens. Keep me posted okay?"

"Will do." Mina replied.

Peter walked out of the room, and as he did, Jamie wrapped his hands around Mina's waist while she wrapped hers around his shoulders.

"Now…" Jamie said with a grin. "Where were we?"


	26. Chapter 26: Party Crashers

Chapter Twenty Six: Party Crashers

A/N: Hey everybody…new chapter up and running, sorry for the delay, but I got some ideas for my latest chapter and here it is…I'm right in the middle of writing an Original Fic story so…yeah…I've gotta write two original stories for school, but I figured if I didn't get this chapter out there, It'd be awhile before I did again.

"So Mr. Parker, what do you think of my party?" Lee asked as he sauntered over to the Nephilim, he gave his trademark smirk that Jamie had come to hate.

"Well," Jamie winced. "I'd like it better if I didn't have to watch you in that banana hammock."

Like magic Jamie watched Lee's face morph into five different facial expressions at once before settling with anger…while this happened Jamie calmly took a sip of his orange Fanta (his drink of choice).

"Just make sure you're here for the big surprise." He said with a voice dripping with intrigue.

"Okay…I'll bite;" Jamie began as he cocked his head to the side. "What sort of surprise do you have in store for us Lee?" The Nephilim asked in a voice that feigned innocence.

"Let's just say…live entertainment." He finished sadistically.

Jamie took another sip of his drink.

"Can't wait!" He finished sarcastically.

"If you can tear yourself away from our gracious host meet me near the snack table." Jin's voice flooded Jamie's transparent ear piece.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me twice." The Nephilim muttered to himself.

If he wasn't chosen to fight demons, and having to constantly watch this party to make sure nobody died, then he'd actually enjoy himself. Lee had definantly gone all out for this party. Everybody was here, and not just Iron Fist fighters…high rolling Tokyo officials, Japanese celebrities, and several well known "J rock" and "J pop" bands.

And while Jamie was born in Japan, he didn't particularly enjoy Japanese rock or pop music…still, the beats were awesome, the pool water was pleasantly warm (without the feeling that someone peed in it), many beautiful girls (his girlfriend included) were dancing around in skimpy bikinis...even Grey looked like he was doing more then just brooding.

He was dancing at the other end of the pool with a group of people; he wore a pair of black shorts with a crimson snarling dragon snaking along the left leg…his tattoos and piercings stood out dramatically against his pale skin, and his long, flap of black hair (with blue died bangs) swished against his forehead.

Jamie wore his traditional blue board shorts with the white Hawaiian flowers, a shark tooth necklace, and a hemp bracelet tied around his ankle. He'd had the shorts since he was fourteen, but they were a little loose on him since he became a Nephilim and started working out.

"So what's up?" Jamie asked as he walked over to Jin.

"Everybody's here; dad's missing out." Kyosuke added.

"He, Asuka, and Billy decided to sit this one out like Peter." Julia added.

"So, where's Xiaoyu then?" Kyo asked.

"Oh, she's not feeling well. She thinks she has the flu or something." Kaori responded.

"And it's a good plan…if Lee springs this trap and we die, then we got them to keep fighting the good fight." Jin added.

"Well…" Jamie looked around. "We've been here for about three hours now…we've swam, we gyrated, we've eaten…and so far, nothing's happened."

"Don't forget…we've…also gone to the bar too!" Hwoarang slurred as he stumbled towards the group.

"Yeah…and they've got everything!" Steve added with a slur.

"Steve! You should be back in bed you're still sick!" Kaori said with worry.

"Yeah, and Christie's going to get really mad at you." Julia warned. "Like I'm getting mad at Hwoarang! We're here on a mission, I don't need you getting drunk!"

"Y'know what?" Hwoarang asked blearily looking at his girlfriend. "you look soooooooo good in that bathing suit…you may be a book worm…but you're soooooooooooo hot Julia…and I jus' wanted to say that-" His eyes bulged and he immediately turned to a potted plant and vomited in it.

"Well that's just great." Jin said sarcastically as he watched Julia hold his hair back.

"We might need to get him some help!" Kaori said.

"Nah, he'll be fine…I've been to frat parties, once he pukes he'll feel better." Jamie added matter of factly.

"Looks like you Korean's can't hold your liquor like us Englishmen," Steve gloated. "Why, I've drank more then you Hwoarang and I feel fine and…" Steve didn't finish before he stooped over an expensive looking bird fountain and heaved into it.

"Well that's just great…" Jin began.

"Yeah; funny too." Kyo added.

"Niice." Jamie said, and the two high-fived.

The party didn't seem to notice that two influential Iron Fist fighters were busy vomiting in Lee's tasteful, lavish furniture, and as Jamie watched and aided his friends he couldn't help but feel a small satisfaction that they were using Lee's expensive pots and birdbaths as handy toilets.

And even though Steve was puking now, Jamie had to admit that he did look a lot better…he said he was feeling better too, and Jamie was glad to hear it.

Jamie looked around, Lee looked busy as ever playing host as countless waiters and waitresses offered people drinks and snacks if the guests couldn't make it to the snack cart…Grey even seemed to be acting normal, now he had moved from the dance floor to a hot tub full of girls and guys.

Jamie turned around fast. "Lee told me that there would be a big surprise later on; I'm banking that's our trap."

Suddenly, Mina and Christie sauntered towards the group.

"So, you mean the guy actually told you that he drove a Ferrari?" Mina asked through fits of giggles.

"Yeah; and I was all like; 'that's great…I drive my boyfriend's Hummer…y'know, my middle weight boxing champion boyfriend?' and that got him away pretty fast."

"Who's also puking in a bird bath." Julia replied evenly.

"What! Oh Stevie, you okay?" She asked as she ran to him.

"Yeah…" Steve breathed as he wiped his mouth. "I feel better now."

"Me too…but now I'm hungry." Hwoarang added.

"Hey you," Mina said with a smile as she embraced her boyfriend. "Whatcha been up too?"

"Oh, Lee tried to molest me, but my biting wit kept him at bay." Jamie said with a smile.

"Listen; I'm not trying to sound like my father, but have you all forgotten? We're in enemy territory here! Lee's going to spring a trap, and that disk is somewhere in that mansion but we can't get in! We need to seriously consider our options."

"Well…" Christie began. "Mina's got a pretty good idea on how to get us in."

"How?" Julia and Kaori asked quickly.

"Just watch." Mina said.

Quickly, her happy and cheerful persona changed to a look of mild distress and embarrassment. Her eyes quickly darted back and forth and her face flushed a crimson as bright as her hair. Immediately, she broke from the group and walked quickly towards the beach chair where her sarong, was located.

Mina tied the floral printed sheet around her hips, and walked back towards her friends…her eyes were kept firmly at the tiled floor, however, Lee quickly stopped her.

"Miss Mina, is there a problem?" He asked.

"Well…actually yeah…there is…" Mina stuttered.

Quickly, Julia and Kaori flashed a knowing look at Christie, who smiled back and motioned for the girls to follow her.

"What's the matter Mina?" Christie asked in an exaggerated voice.

"Um…can I use your bathroom Mr. Lee?" Mina asked as she shifted uncomfortably.

"We have a pool room at the other end of the yard, ma'am you can feel free to use that one." Lee said in a bit of an uncomfortable voice.

"Yeah…but…this is an…um…emergency…" Mina said in a low voice.

"Girl problems Lee, you get the picture right?" Kaori asked.

"Please Lee…would you please let us use the bathroom in your house?" Christie asked in a soft, flirty voice.

"Besides…the bathrooms in there aren't well suited for our friend who clearly needs-" Julia began.

"Alright! Go down the hall and to the left…it's the third door on the right." He said in an embarrassed and disgusted voice.

Quickly, the girl's herded around their friend as if she was a wounded soldier. They brushed past the boys, who had a mixed look of astonishment, awe, and fascination. Mina quickly turned, smiled, and winked at Jamie and her friends.

"Damn…she's good…are you sure she's not-" Steve began.

"No…" Jamie interrupted with a grin on his face. "She just had it."

"Gross…is there anything you don't know about your girlfriend Jamie?" Kyo said.

"Well, it helps so I don't have little Jamie's running around now doesn't it?" Jamie replied.

"That was an excellent plan! Those girls are geniuses!" Jin said.

"So…" Hwoarang began. "What do we do know?"  
"I guess we wait it out…find out what Lee's big surprise is." Kyosuke replied.

"Looks like we won't have to wait too much longer." Jamie said as he crossed his arms across his bare chest.

Suddenly, Lee moved towards where the bands played and walked to the microphone.

"Is everybody enjoying the party?" He asked.

Immediately, the crowd roared in response; Jamie just stared, and cautiously leaned ever so slightly against back leg.

"And I know I promised everyone live entertainment…so get ready for the big surprise!"

A part of Jamie briefly expected vampires to pop out…until he realized that it was broad daylight…Lee promised live entertainment and Jamie wondered what it was exactly…however, he had a feeling that it wasn't something that he and the rest of the guests would enjoy.

"You folks don't know it…but there's an Iron Fist Fight about to go on right now."

The crowd cheered uproariously…although Jamie and his friends shifted rather uncomfortably…what was going on? A new fight, who was fighting?

"I myself, the host of this party will be facing off with another fighter; he's fairly new to the Iron Fist tournaments, but he's become a crowd favorite."

_Oh crap…_

"Known for his witty t-shirts and sharp sense of humor…Jamie Parker!" Lee called as he made a broad, sweeping gesture into the crowd and Jamie's general direction.

The crowd parted and applauded for Jamie…who smiled and brushed a strand of his hair behind his ear.

"Be ready to fight in five minutes Mr. Parker!" Lee called.

"Let's just hope you aren't wearing that grape smuggler Lee!" Jamie called back.

The crowd laughed, Jamie did too, but in the midst of his chuckling he managed to mutter a very low "oh shit".

(New Scene)

"Well; thank god you changed clothes." Jamie said as he executed a crisp and perfect roundhouse kick to Lee's face. Lee staggered and fell to the ground. Jamie took personal satisfaction in knowing that he had most likely ruined Lee's precious designer suit.

The two had fought in Lee's pool area with the crowd watching the battle…the fight had progressed down a stairwell to another sort of "mini courtyard" that showed a perfect view of the mountain range around them. Jamie didn't have time to notice the view though.

The battle had been long, it had been tense, and he was panting and sweating…but he had won! After three long rounds…Jamie Parker had beaten Lee Cholan!

"Okay Lee; was that you're live entertainment? 'Cuz I'd have to say that I'm not impressed." Jamie began, walking towards his fallen enemy.

"Not at all Mr. Parker…unfortunately you've been the victim of distraction…while I let you win this fight I'm afraid that my step father's Tekken Force are busy attacking your friends…as for the lovely Miss Mina, I'd imagine that Grey's found her by now."

"What!" Jamie roared.

The Nephilim raised his fist and prepared to back every ounce of his strength in his body into smashing it into Lee's face…but instead, he was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream. Jamie glared at Lee's fallen form.

"I swear to God for your sake, she'd better not be dead!" He growled.

Jamie knew that he should have dealt with Lee, but innocent people needed him! Quickly, he ran up the stone steps to the main pool area to find people screaming and running towards the exits. The Tekken Force fired their guns, but weren't doing much of attacking the party goers.

"They're herding them out…they don't want them…they want…" Jamie began to mutter to himself.

His eyes searched back and forth madly through the sea of people for his friends…and suddenly the crowd was gone, leaving Jamie standing near the pool with about three dozen Tekken Force staring at him through their black, expressionless bike helmets.

They're guns leveled, they aimed them at Jamie…dozens of red lights shown across his chest…not knowing what else to do, he raised his hands towards the sky. The Nephilim looked around desperately to find Jin, Kyosuke, Hwoarang and Steve flanked by gunmen as well.

Jamie may have been the Nephilim, but with all those laser sites trained on him, there was no way he could attack without getting his chest turned into swiss cheese…he ached for Mina and his other friends, who were still in the house…probably facing their own private Hell…and with this grim realization, Jamie Parker realized that the Tekken Force didn't want any of the other fighters or party goers…which was why they rushed them out…no…they didn't want them…

"They want…me…"


	27. Chapter 27: House Arrest

Chapter Twenty Seven: House Arrest

A/N: Okay people, new chapter up, this one will focus on what happened to Mina and the girls while Jamie fought Lee and got ambushed by the Tekken Force (or Shu, depending on how you look at it). Thanks for all who review and read I really appreciate them!

They had stayed for far longer then they had anticipated…to say the mansion was a maze was a gross exaggeration…every hall, door, and alcove seemed to lead them deeper and deeper into the manor with no exit in sight.

Finding the disk itself had truly been like finding a needle in a haystack, and by the time they found it (sitting atop a stack of Zaibatsu invoices) it had been way too late…lock down had initiated.

"I can't believe we fell for this!" Christie wailed.

"Lee's a lot smarter then he looks…but we'll be fine, we just need to get out of here." Kaori said rationally.

"Yeah, but we've got the disk we need remember ladies? All that stands in between us and the exit is…" Julia didn't get to finish before a door slammed shut…all it took was the simple slamming of a door and suddenly, Kim Seung Mina was completely cut off from her friends and trapped alone in the labyrinthine mansion. As the door slammed shut, a metal shutter slid down over the simple oak door.

"Damn it!" Mina muttered as she slammed her hand against the door.

"Mina!" Christie's muffled voice called from behind the iron shutter.

"Are…are you okay Mina?" Julia asked.

"Yeah…I mean yes…I'm fine." Mina nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked around.

"Can you find a way out?" Kaori called. "Like maybe a window or something?"

Mina took her friends' advice and frantically looked around…the windows had been barred shut! Mina told her friends this…only to find Julia's voice come through again.

"The locking mechanism must be somewhere around here…"

"No, you've got to get the disk out of here!" Mina interrupted.

"But Mina…" Christie began.

"No buts…I'll find my way out don't worry," She smiled wryly to herself. "I've been through worse things…like the end of the world…this'll be a piece of cake."

"We'll go get help we promise!" Kaori called before Mina heard the footsteps run off.

"Ookay…that's cool!" Mina said loudly, before lowering her voice. "So now my priorities have shifted…get out of here and try not to die…alright, let's do this."

But for some reason, Mina couldn't get her black sandals to move her forward…she wished she could be as brave as the show she put on with her friends.

_Well…if they could see how terrified you looked when you tried to sound all big and bad they might not have believed you…c'mon girl…at least this isn't a sewer or graveyard…it's a big, palatial mansion…sun's out and dusk won't be for another four hours or so…so it's not like any vampires'll pop out…hopefully…_

Preferably, Mina didn't want to deal with any kind of threat…realistically, she was a one hundred and ten pound Karate Master's daughter with a black belt, and a passion for dancing. She was a second year criminology major who enjoyed Taco Bell, a good latte on a rainy day, shoe shopping, and reading Cosmo magazine with her roommate and best friend Maureen. She wanted Jamie, she wanted her friends, and most of all she wanted to throw down, lose it, and have a huge balls to the wall temper tantrum.

Although the thought was tempting (she even looked at the tiled floor longingly) she knew she couldn't have it…she'd have plenty of time to freak out later tonight either curled up in her bed or soaking in the tub (Jamie was optional in both scenarios…depending on how this whole situation played out).

But what to do? There were so many rooms…she had no idea how Jamie navigated them all those months ago…that's when she remembered something…Jamie had been trapped here too during the fifth tournament…alone, after Lee had tricked him…and he had temporarily lost his Nephilim powers…Jamie had gotten out, and there was no reason that she couldn't either.

Bravely, she found the courage to put one foot in front of the other…then another…then another…until finally, she was walking down the hall.

"That's one small step for Mina…one giant leap for Mina-kind."

As she walked, she heard the loud slapping of her feet against the sandals…they echoed loudly down the halls and she figured that anyone could hear them a mile away.

"…these were cute too…" She said mournfully as she placed her shoes under the stairwell. "Guess we've all gotta make some sacrifices."

Mina knew very well that if it came right down to a fight, that she'd have at least a bit of a chance…after all, she had been taking Tae Kwon Do since she was a little girl! She had taken down her fair share of demons and vampires before…however, this didn't mean that she actively went searching for trouble.

She was no Nephilim, or any other kind of super hero. She knew her limits when it came to fighting…being in karate and dancing had made her keenly aware of her body and it's limits. Granted, she always pushed these limits to get better; but she knew that when it came to fighting that she was fast…very fast and hard to catch…but two or three good solid smacks and she'd be flat on her ass…not dead, but on the ground.

"But that's only a problem if they can catch me." Mina muttered pridefully.

In fact, that's how she had met Jamie, he had been out on patrol hopping rooftops when he found her in an alley fending off three Screaming Howlock Demons…and while he had saved her, she had put up quite an impressive fight considering she had never seen a demon before in her life.

She wasn't even carrying a weapon with her…with the bikini and the sarong where could she keep a knife?

'_No place I'd wanna know about' Jamie'd laugh._

She'd always admired his joking demeanor during brawls…she wasn't too bad at dishing out insults either…but unlike Jamie, she couldn't take a crow bar or a lead pipe to the head and still be standing.

As Mina's sojourn led her deeper into the mansion she was on the lookout for weapons…but all she could find were musty old books and heavy busts. She figured her best bet would be to try for the bedrooms…this security system was good, but she doubted that it covered the entire estate…there seemed to be a separate system for each wing of the house…and maybe if she could find a bedroom that wasn't shut tight, she could make an escape to the roof.

So absorbed was she in her thoughts that Mina completely forgot where she was…and that three Tekken Force soldiers were ambling her way.

"So…um…I like, played my level three fire card and…hey!" One of the guards called.

Immediately, Mina looked up to find three sets of cold, bike helmets staring at her.

"The master-I mean, Mr. Chaolon would prefer it if all the guests remained downstairs madam." The second one said cordially.

"May I escort you back to the party miss? You don't want to miss the big surprise do you?" The third asked.

Now Mina had two choices…she could go with them and get out of the mansion, but she noticed the Tekken Force issue Carbine Rifles…and maybe this was a trick? She could go with them, and wind up kidnapped and used for Lee's twisted experiments!

"Oh I was just leaving!" She said with a smile.

That comment went over like a lead balloon, immediately, they raised their rifles…quickly, Mina glanced to her right and found a bust of Beethoven…or someone famous.

As fast as she could, she grabbed it, and threw it with all her strength…she wasn't sure if she aimed properly, but fortunately, luck was on her side, as it hit the soldier who asked to escort her directly in the face. He slumped to the ground as his helmet unleashed a fine, spiderweb pattern of cracks.

Not wasting anymore time, Mina ran to the next one with a jumping side kick…the blow knocked him into a book shelf which toppled over him…that left a third and final soldier…who Mina was reminded was still in play when she felt a bullet whiz inches past her face.

She knew she wouldn't have time to get to him before he turned her chest into Swiss cheese, so she grabbed one of the discarded books and threw it at him with all her might, she would have preferred the book to hit him in the face, but instead, it clocked him in the shoulder with it's spine.

It stunned the soldier, giving Mina ample time to run at him with a jumping front snap kick. The soldier fell, and Mina fell too, using some of her judo training, she put him in a sleeper hold…once he was out, and she collected a gun and some ammo she couldn't help it…she had to look.

Gingerly, she picked up the book she had used and read the cover.

"Hm…Three Hundred and Thirty One of the best Erotic Fiction…God, who needs all that porn." Suddenly, the little lightbulb inside her head went off and she realized who. "Must be getting close to Grey's room…phft, it probably looks like a dungeon."

She turned and walked further down the hall and with each footstep, feeling braver and braver.

(New Scene)

Mina was a bit disappointed at Grey's room…it actually looked…well…nice. Granted, it was big enough to where she could probably fit her father's karate school in it. But the walls were a rich dark color, and the floor felt soft with gorgeous Persian rugs.

He had a fireplace, and a beautiful bed with red silk sheets. Of course, he added his own personal touches to the room. On the vanity table were all of the things that she supposed Grey needed for his life…different piercings (which Mina found absolutely disgusting) lay strewn across the table. The only thing Mina had pierced was her ears…and even she kept her earrings in a box, out of plain site; but the ones that lay across the table looked like they belonged in more…exotic places.

Next was Grey's hair glue, which was what he used to give himself that long piece of hair that covered three fourths of his face, and what was used to spike out the short parts in the back. Followed immediately by his temporary dies in every color under the rainbow…used eyeliner pencils, a pack of Marlboro extra mentholated cigarettes, a cheap lighter, and a half box of condoms…which Mina found absolutely repulsive.

She was by no means a neat freak…in fact, she seemed to recall that her room looked like a tornado most of the time when she left it in a hurry…but all her personal, private stuff was always kept out of plain view…it wasn't the condoms that bothered her either, she was happy that he was at least practicing safe sex…it was just the fact that they were out in plain site that bothered her.

But what was perhaps the best thing about this room was the fact that unlike every other room in this godforsaken mansion, the windows weren't barred! She could get out!

But how?

Mina looked around, there really wasn't a ledge she could grab on for the roof…the pool was directly beneath her, but with all the people crowded around (they were watching something and cheering, but Mina couldn't tell what) she wasn't sure if she could make the jump…and it was a relatively steep drop…she'd probably break something if she landed on the concrete.

Maybe she could break the window and tie the bed sheets to make a rope? An old trick, but a good one none the less…she moved to the bed and was about to grab the sheets when she noticed Grey leaning casually against the threshold.

"Well well well…look who's ready to jump in bed…no talk, get down to business girl? I like that."

Mina was secretly terrified and somewhat repulsed at the same time.

"You've got a nice room here Grey…bet I'm the first girl to see it by choice huh?" Mina said with a smile.

"Jesus Christ you too? I was hoping that those lame ass witty puns were only used by that Angel Retard boyfriend of yours…anyway, you wanna get this over with? I've got a huge load to blow so you ready?"

"To fight? Yeah." Mina dropped into a stance.

"Bummer, I was thinking of another word that began with 'F' but the lady gets what the lady wants." Grey added.

And the two ran at each other. Mina swung a punch that connected, but Grey kneed her hard in the stomach…Mina doubled over in pain, and Grey quickly hit her with an uppercut. Mina groaned in agony as she fell hard to the floor.

"Y'know I'm a little disappointed in you. They tell me you've killed a bunch of demons and vampires, but you can't take me out? That's sad…but y'know what? I'll do you a little favor-"

Mina slowly got up in time to see Grey push a button by his bedside…suddenly, the oak walls slid back to reveal a row of snarling, chained, vampires.

"What the…" Mina began.

"I really want to see you fight Mina!" Grey began in a mock sympathetic tone. "I mean, they tell me that you're just as dangerous as Jamie and his band of wacky pals…but you're really letting me down. Let's see, we've got the middle weight champion of the world, four of those Devil Gene carriers, those girls who can do anything…and then there's you, the dead weight. So I thought, that maybe if I send these vampire's after you then you'll actually prove that you can prove your weight in battle."

Mina stood and stared at Grey directly in the eyes…hatred filled them.

"Grey…"

"Sorry, can't hear you over the rattling chains and the roar of the starved vampires what were you saying?" He smiled and leaned his head closer to hear her. "Probably something lame like," Grey mocked her voice. "Grey stop, Heihachi is just using you for evil…join up with us we're your real friends, it's not too late."

"It's far too late," Mina said. "You had the opportunity to help people…after all the tragedy you suffered you have the ability to use your powers for good…instead you just use it for yourself and that's…that's selfish."

"Sorry Mina, can't hear you," Grey slammed another button.

The chains were unfastened and the creatures lunged at Mina…they were fast, too fast for Mina to do anything but raise her arms defensively. Suddenly, the creatures hit her like a wave, and Mina felt herself being lifted off the floor and into the air…the glass shattered, and Mina felt herself falling…falling rapidly towards the ground…and screaming all the way down.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay everybody, but school's been crazy and I've had a lot of tests and projects to do…but I hope everyone can forgive me and please read and review.


	28. Chapter 28: Take my Leave

Chapter Twenty Eight: Take My Leave

Dozens of sniper lights danced around Jamie and his friends…like it or not, they were surrounded by dozens of trigger happy Tekken Force; it didn't matter whether Jamie had powers or not, he may have been fast, but certainly not fast enough to dodge point blank bullets!

He needed to formulate a plan quickly…he was on enough borrowed time. The Tekken Force was waiting for Lee's word. Through terror stricken blue eyes Jamie watched Lee…the world seemed to stand still as Lee stood there.

He smiled sadistically before raising his hand dramatically.

"I think we've let you all live long enough, kill them."

"NO!" Jamie screamed.

It was more of a reflective response then anything else…the guns were raised…

_Not gonna-_

Suddenly, the doors to Lee's porch doors swung open…and in that moment, Jamie Parker was never happier to see Julia, Christie and Kaori…but where was Mina?

"Jamie, Mina's-" Kaori began.

The distraction was as timely as it was lucky; with the Tekken Force's attention temporarily diverted, Jamie acted…he only needed a second.

Quickly, he leapt into action and grabbed at the closest Tekken Force member in the little group that surrounded him. Using centripetal force, he flung his victim into the crowd knocking them over.

Hwoarang and Jin were locked deep in a battle with over a dozen of Lee's personal army, while Steve and Kyo were battling their own group in the corner. The girl's had taken over fighting the group of Tekken Force who had once aimed their sites on Jamie.

With a temporarily incapacitated group of Tekken Force Jamie quickly dashed ahead…he used his Nephilim speed to dodge bullets and grabbed at the first thing he could find…a flag pole.

He needed to get to his friend's aid immediately which was a noble goal but the only problem with that was that there were two throngs of Tekken Force between them.

Still…he had to try.

Jamie was no gymnast, but with Nephilim powers maybe this would work.

He jumped in the air and grabbed the flag pole. Using it as a parallel bar he swung on it for about three spins. Momentarily, the fighting stopped as both his friends and enemies watched him.

"GET HIM!" Lee screamed.

They raised their rifles and fired but Jamie quickly leapt from the pole and landed next to Kyo and Steve.

"Whoa," Steve said as Jamie landed.

"That was cool; is there anything you can't do?" Kyo asked.

"You're impressed? I sure am too!" Jamie said with a grin as he blocked an attack, and punched the enemy in the face.

Jamie punched and kicked, jumped and ducked, but they kept coming.

_Wish I had a weapon…all I've got with me is a bottle of holy water, and that's not gonna do anything here!_

The Tekken Force was dwindling…there may have been a lot of them, but they weren't incredibly stellar fighters. Jamie looked behind him and noticed that their ranks were dwindling, and now would be a perfect time to-

Suddenly, above him, the sound of shattering glass filled the air…and a piercing scream followed. Jamie looked up to see Mina flying through the sky…vampires followed her. They were a couple of inches above her, but in the pure sunlight, they had begun to burst into flames…and if they caught up to her…

Quickly, Jamie put visions of pummeling Lee out of his mind and focused on saving his girlfriend! He turned, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a vial of holy water.

The Nephilim uncorked the bottle and flung it into the pool…to anything unholy became a vat of concentrated acid…seconds later, Mina landed in the water followed by the vampires…who screamed and disintegrated upon impact.

Mina hit the water with a splash, and the chlorinated water slapped onto Jamie's bare feet. He glanced in Mina's direction, before turning his blue eyes towards Lee.

"What's it going to be Nephilim? The love of your life; or your sacred duty? Although neither will save you from a painful death by my father's hand." Lee snarled.

Without a word Jamie ran to the edge of the pool, where a shaken Mina began swimming towards him.

"Looks like you lose uncle!" Jin said with contempt.

"All of your lame ass armie's been leveled." Hwoarang added.

"And it's one of you and a bunch of us." Steve replied.

Lee looked as if he still wanted to fight…but he knew that the odds were against him. Angrily, he broke into a run and leapt over one of the walls and into the forest below.

Meanwhile, Jamie helped Mina out of the pool.

"You okay?" He smiled.

She gave him a tired grin but nodded. "I've been better."

"Should we go after him?" Kyo asked.

"I don't think that'd be wise…we might just want to cut our losses." Jin advised.

"Yeah," Kaori said. "But we got what we came for…the disk!"

To prove her point, Julia held it out to show everyone.

"This disk should tell us what this ritual's about Jamie…and what you and Grey have to do with it." Julia said.

"That's great…cuz I'm going to bring about the world's destruction…I at least want to know what I'm doing."

"Bummer about the party though…" Christie said looking at the unconscious bodies of Tekken Force, and overturned patio furniture.

"Yeah," Jamie agreed. "it was fun…phenomenal finger food…but I guess we give new meaning to the term party crashers."

Everyone laughed at Jamie's little comment. Jin said that they should head back to the hotel, and everyone agreed.

"Y'know though; on a scale of one to ten this trap was maybe about a four…I seriously thought Lee wouldn't have been so obvious." Mina mused.

"Oh he's not obvious, he just believes in fighting with class…good thing that I'm tactless white trash huh!" A voice called from behind.

Everyone turned in time to see Grey standing behind them with a Tekken Force semi automatic rifle…he grin and fired the weapon…he had aimed for Mina, but Jamie quickly pushed her down and jumped in the line of fire.

Suddenly, he felt an intense, burning pain shoot through his intestines…he felt as if his whole body had been set on fire as the searing metal of the bullet tore through his intestines.

"AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" Jamie screamed as he landed to the ground.

He clutched at his stomach and felt warm, sticky fluid on his hand. The pain was intense…and he heard Grey laugh before exiting the same way Lee had…

"OH MY GOD!" Christie wailed.

"JAMIE….JAMIE!" Mina called.

And the last thing that Jamie saw was Julia's face. "We've gotta stop the bleeding…hold on Jamie…just please…hold on."

He felt himself being lifted up…and then, all was black…

Author's Note: Remember me? Sorry for the impossibly long update, but I've had tons of exams and tests, and lots of homework…I'm really sorry this is so short also, but I'm really trying my best. Anyway, I'll try to update quickly from now on.


	29. Chapter 29: New Arrival

Chapter Twenty Nine: New Arrival

Author's Note: Well, I'm back from Spring Break all rested and relaxed and ready to give y'all another chapter!

_Two Weeks Later…_

"C'mon," Jamie Parker muttered to himself…he leaned down and stared at the name on the headstone. "Yoshitatsu Minamoto…some of us have places to be…can't you raise a little faster?"

He sat atop the stone monument…he'd been waiting for over a half hour now and he began to wonder if it was possible to actually die of boredom.

It had been two weeks since Lee's party…two weeks after his gunshot wound. Honestly, Jamie barely remembered the attack at all…and he completely blanked out during the trip back to the hotel.

At this point in time…given Jamie's situation, he couldn't go to an actual hospital…he'd heal too fast and there'd be too many questions. Apparently, Mina had wanted to take him although Jin had refused…the two had gotten into a heated debate about it and of course, Hwoarang had to add his two cents.

_Well, it wouldn't be an Iron Fist Tournament if my friends aren't arguing over my comatose body…it happened last tournament and it happened again…helluva tradition…_

Jamie sighed again and dangled his feet over the headstone, he fished in his pocket and found his Gameboy Advance and began an intense game of Yoshi's Story…he played the game more through memory then anything else…his mind was focusing on the past two weeks.

The tournament was ending soon…in fact, he and the others had just received the rosters for tomorrow. Grey was to fight Bryan Fury; Mina was fighting Xiaoyu; and Jamie himself was going up against Paul Phoenix.

Jamie had fought Paul before…but not officially. During the last tournament they had sparred together in Law's dojo before it had gotten interrupted by a fleet of Combots. The robots had kidnapped Xiao, Law's son Forrest, and a young karate instructor.

Jamie and Jin split up, with Jamie following the Combots through the sewers, and eventually to this very graveyard where Hwoarang and Jin met him with the Japanese faction of the Blood Talon.

Although it seemed as if Jamie had won the battle against Paul before it was interrupted, he was still worried. Paul was the one who had defeated a former Nephilim from the third Iron Fist tournament. Officially, Paul had won the third tournament, but had not stuck around to deal with the demon known was Ogre.

This left Jin and Patrick to deal with the beast…however, once Ogre merged with Heihachi and became the horrible monster he was, he had brutally killed Patrick.

Knowing Paul's background, Jamie knew that he had only trained harder and harder for this tournament as well. Peter didn't like Paul…but Jamie really had no problems with him.

Paul was just a hard ass, arrogant guy who wasn't about to let some punk kid beat him…then again…wasn't that the on going theme of most of Jamie's opponents?

As the tournament began to wind down, the fights seemed to get harder and harder…today, Jamie barely survived his battle with Nina…Jin and Hwoarang fought…this time Jin had won…but his victory was short lived as he had lost to his father. Mina had gone head to head against Lili today and she was actually a formidable opponent.

Still, the battle ended with Mina's victory…although she was nervous about fighting Xiaoyu.

Xiao had been acting strangely lately though…she seemed a bit more…calm then before. She was never much of a drinker, but lately, Jamie noticed that whenever they went out she would always be drinking either water or juice.

"Oh well…" Jamie shook the thoughts out of his head and tried to continue focusing on his game.

Yoshi's Island was one of his favorite games as Yoshi was one of his favorite video game characters ever…and right now, Baby Mario needed his help!

However, try as he might, Jamie could not concentrate on his game…instead, he continued to think about the latest turn of events.

Per Asuka's request, Jamie's best friend Robbie was coming to visit them for the end of the tournament. The two had hit it off earlier in the summer during Jin and Xiao's wedding…and Jamie would much rather be with his other friends getting ready to pick his friend up at the airport.

But…sacred duty yada yada yada…

Over the past two weeks there had been a marked increase in the vampire population…and it all stemmed from one undead being…a female vampire named Hatsumeha, known in Nephilim lore as "The Bucheress".

She'd been around since the late 1800's wreaking havoc throughout Asia. Apparently, in her time she was one the most beautiful and celebrated Geisha in Japan (which would explain why she dressed like one).

Hatsumeha was terrified of getting old and…long story short, she found a way to stay young forever.

Heihachi had paid her a vast sum of money for her services to see if she could defeat the Nephilim…her main method of attack was to create as many vampires as she could and try to bombard Jamie with as many denizens of the night as she could.

The only flaw in her method of attacking was the fact that every vampire she sent was newly risen and fairly inexperienced…Jamie had no problem dusting them.

Hatsumeha had been dead for three days…Jamie had fought her in downtown Tokyo…while she had never killed a Nephilim in her long life, she certainly could have perhaps if Jamie wasn't too experienced.

Jamie's bullet wound was still healing, and during a critical moment in the fight, she had kicked in hard in the gut, making him drop his weapon and howl in pain…but at the last second, he pulled through and emerged victorious.

And now…

Now it was time to put an end to the very last vampire in Hatsumeha's régime. Remembering the battle that had taken place made his bullet wound ache, and he rubbed his stomach fleetingly.

It was a miracle he was still alive…he had survived so much during this tournament and now it was nearing it's end…and he still had no idea what Heihachi and Grey had instore for him.

Heihachi was hiding something…and Jamie wasn't sure he liked it.

He had a sense for this sort of thing…and right now, he felt as if everything around him was building up to something big…something that he couldn't quite put his finger on…

Something…

And suddenly, Jamie felt the ground below him stir…and a hand punch through the earth and wrapping around his ankle.

"'Bout damn time!" Jamie called.

He easily shook his ankle free, pocketed his Game Boy and leapt off the gravestone. Jamie assumed a fighter's stance and as the vampire pulled itself out of the grave and faced him.

"That's right…you wanna taste? Grade A Farm Fresh American Boy…come and get it." Jamie said menacingly.

"With pleasure." The vampire snarled.

The battle began, with Jamie easily blocking the poorly aimed attacks…quickly, Jamie pulled the small dagger out from his cargo shorts and pivoted attempting to drive the blade into the creature's heart…oddly enough the creature blocked the attack and sent Jamie sprawling onto the ground.

He let out a grunt as he hit the ground.

"Oooohhh now you've done it." A voice called from the trees.

It was a familiar one…one Jamie hadn't heard in almost a month…it had an Australian twang to it…could it be…

_Robbie…_

Jamie turned to catch a glimpse of his best friend standing between Peter and Kyo…he wore a tanktop and a pair of shorts…he crossed his well muscled arms across his broad chest.

"Wait'll I drag you back to my mistress." The creature said.

"Hey," Kyo began. "Is that Mr. Minamoto from the bank?"

"Do you need our help?" Peter called…ready to leap into the fray.

"No," Robbie held Peter back. "Watch this mate, it's awesome."

Jamie grinned inwardly…if it's a show his friends wanted, then a show was what he'd give them. Quickly, he whirled his legs around like a helicopter blade, using the only Capoeria maneuver he knew…his limbs hit the vampire in the face knocking him backwards, and giving Jamie the time he needed to get up.

"Got news for you buddy…your mistress is dead!" Jaime said as he punched the creature.

"You lie!" He hissed.

"Um…not really…vampire bitch spontaneously combusted after Jamie sliced her head off." Kyo added.

"Then I shall avenge her!" He screamed and unleashed a quick spin kick.

The blow connected and Jamie stumbled backwards.

"Maybe we should really help him." Peter said, starting to get worried

"I'm telling you…just watch." Robbie replied casually.

"Oh okay…" Jamie said sarcastically.

Quickly…to get some room Jamie unleashed a quick combination of two punches and a roundhouse before finishing with a punishing spin kick…he focused all his strength in the kick…and lopped off the vampire's head, he was in the air for two more rotations before landing.

"Way to go buddy!" Kyo cheered. "That's the last time he ever denies me a loan!"

"Good job Jamie; you had me worried for a second there!" Peter said.

"Aaaww…I knew you'd be fine." Robbie said with a grin.

"Hey man!" Jamie said, a huge grin plastered on his face. "When did you get here?"

The two slapped each other's hands and did a few complicated hand motions before finishing in a guy hug.

"Just a little while ago…I got off the plane and found these two holding a sign for me." Robbie smiled.

"Wasn't Mina going to pick you up?" Jamie asked.

"She was; but Asuka wasn't ready yet so we picked him up instead." Peter replied.

"And I remembered that dad had sent you out here to take this last vampire out, so we thought we'd swing buy." Kyo added.

"Brings back old memories watchin' you dust 'em…but that last bit was quite spectacular if I do say so myself." Robbie added.

"Well y'know…my own Nephilim way of saying 'welcome to Tokyo!'" Jamie replied.

"You really came at a great time Robbie…it's the end of the tournament so you can see the final matches and…" Peter began.

"And Jamie killed that psycho vampire Geisha Hatsumeha and her craptacular army." Kyo interrupted.

"Vampire Geisha?" Robbie mused. "Well that's something you don't see everyday…wish I coulda' seen that."

"It was definitely something…I think that when I die I'll go down in history as The Nephilim who killed such a weird vampire."

"Among other things." Robbie added.

The two laughed together and chatted about what was going on at the homefront and how they're friend Maureen said hello and was sorry that she couldn't make the trip…how Justin's doing fine…but one of the neighbors complained about a party he had the other night.

"Well if you get Bam there then something's going to break or get blown up." Jamie responded.

"So what are we going to do tonight anyway?" Peter asked.

"Well…ding dong the witch is dead…I vote we party!" Jamie replied.

The cheers from the others consented in the deal.

_Meanwhile…_

"I enjoy being a girl!" Mina said brightly as she glanced at herself in the bathroom mirror.

It felt strange to see herself in an outfit that looked remotely feminine…it seemed as if these last two weeks she wore nothing but jeans, sneakers, and t-shirts to her fights or workout clothes.

She had dozens of cute outfits, but in the long run efficiency won out over style.

Of course, she had plenty of cute jeans and t-shirts…and her workout clothes looked nice on her too…but tonight, she was going to be a girly girl if it killed her!

She had made the mistake of wearing one of her favorite "lace cami tops" to her fight with Kunimitsu…Mina had won the match but her top had suffered from ninja's blade.

Ever since that battle Mina learned the hard way to dress practical for her matches…but not tonight!

Tonight one of her best guy friends was coming to visit, and they were all going out to party! Mina had her hair straightened, the majority of her make up on, and an awesome outfit…all that was left were for her to pick a fragrance, help Asuka, and wait for Jamie and the boys to get back.

Hatsumeha was dead…Jamie was safe…and although they were still knee deep in this battle over good and evil tonight was the one night where they could put it behind them and cut loose.

Mina applied her eyeliner with expert care, and quickly touched up her lips with lip gloss before heading out of the bathroom and into the warzone that was her room.

She chuckled at the image in front of her…six girls in one room…the room itself was a tornado of makeup products, clothes, crumpled fashion magazines, and various other odds and ends.

The din of blow dryers, straightners, music, and conversations assaulted her ears. As Mina left the bathroom Julia quickly rushed in. Christie, Xiaoyu, and Kaori hovered over Asuka who sat uncomfortably on the second bed.

"I'm glad you enjoy being a girl 'cause I don't!" Asuka declared.

"Girl, when we get through with you, you're gonna look soo hot!" Christie squealed. "OOOOWWWWWUUUUHHHH!" Asuka wailed.

"Asuka," Xiao said with a sigh…she held Mina's straightner in her hand.

"I can't help it! My hair is smoking!"

"That's how you know it's working Asuka." Xiao retorted.

"How! By scorching my hair! What was I thinking…he's never going to like me!" Asuka said.

"Yes he will Asuka…I know he will…trust me, he's one of my best friends." Mina said with a reassuring smile to her friend as she picked out a pair of dangly earrings.

"Then why am I going through all this then?"

"Because we want to…accentuate you're beauty…you're a really pretty girl Asuka." Kaori replied helping Christie with her makeup.

"Yeah, you've got such a tiny waist and you've got the body to wear some really hot clothes you shouldn't cover it up all the time!" Christie added.

Mina's black gaucho pants swished as she walked towards the dresser and sprayed a bit of perfume on her wrists and neck. Her tight, green linen t-shirt accentuated her body nicely, and her black heels went nicely with her gauchos.

After proclaiming Asuka officially done, the other girls went to finish getting ready in the bathroom…leaving Mina and Asuka behind.

"Make up, heels, and nail polish…I don't think I'll ever get it all right!" Asuka complained as she reached for a lip stick.

"Wait!" Mina replied. "That clashes; try this one." She finished with a smile and handed her friend the right one.

"Thanks Mina." Asuka said gratefully. "Do you…do you really think he'll like it? What if he's not interested in me…just what I'm wearing?"

"Hey, he liked you just fine earlier in the summer…and you looked like you always did…we just wanna show him how awesomely hot you can be! I mean, look at you!"

Timidly, Asuka walked to the full length mirror and stared at herself. Her hair used to be an unruly nest of fly-aways and wings, but Xiao had straightened them to soft silky brown locks that fell gracefully to her shoulders.

Her make up accentuated her fine, pretty facial features and her denim mini skirt and black halter top hugged her athletic body nicely.

"Why is it that I can perform a ten hit combo and beat up guys twice as strong as me…and yet I can't walk in these damn heels?" Asuka wandered aloud.

"Don't worry you'll get used to them…it took me awhile to learn I can even fight in them!" Mina said brightly.

Suddenly, Mina's cellphone blasted Sean Paul's "Temperature"…Jamie must be calling. Quickly, she dashed to her phone, and a few seconds later squealed in delight.

"That's them! Jamie and all the boys are waiting for us downstairs!" She said happily.

_New Scene…_

"And anyway we were about to…whoa!" Hwoarang cried.

Quickly, Jamie and the others turned to see the girl's walking down the stairs with Asuka bringing up the rear.

"Asuka…you look…" Jin said in disbelief.

Quickly, Mina and Robbie hugged before she officially introduced (again) her friends.

"…and you remember Asuka right?" Mina asked Robbie.

To Asuka, he was just as handsome as the last time she had seen him…tan skin, short, spiky blond hair, green eyes…which were staring in disbelief at her…she hoped she wasn't blushing.

"He…hey…" Asuka said nervously.

"You look…I mean…you look…" Robbie stammered.

"Amazing?" Julia offered.

"Yeah…and…"

"Stunning?" Christie giggled.

"That too…"

"Thanks…so do you…" Asuka said.

"Well alright, are we gonna have long awkward pauses or are we going out?" Steve shouted.

Everyone laughed at the icebreaker and began to leave the hotel…as they walked Jamie leaned in to Mina.

"Whoa…did you do all this? She looks…well I think all the adjectives have been covered so far."

"While I am an official make-over sensei I cannot take all the credit for this one." Mina said in a mock kung fu master voice.

"Well props to you guys then." Jamie said.

Mina watched as Robbie and Asuka tentatively began talking and walking closer and closer together.

"Aaaaawww aren't they so cute together?" She said as she clasped her boyfriend's hand.

"You've done a good deed sweetie…you've got some good karma comin' your way…some really good karma if you play your cards right tonight." Jamie said with that boyish grin Mina loved.

"Ooohh can't wait," Mina giggled. "But lets wait on PDA-ing 'til we hit the club alright?"

Jamie laughed and wrapped his arm around her. "Sounds good."


	30. Chapter 30: One Step Closer

Chapter Thirty: One Step Closer

Author's Note::sigh: well I've been through a lot since I last updated. School's out for me again and that means that I'm back to san Antonio, where, my parents are moving houses, which means that I didn't have the internet for about two months…then I got in a real bad car accident, some jerk sideswiped me off the overpass and I dunno, I must have Nephilim skills lol or somethin' because I only broke my arm…but now my arms better, and I have internet so I'm going to try to set all this up again.

To those who's stories I haven't read in awhile I'm sorry, but I'll try to catch up and review this week.

Tokyo looked beautiful at sunset...the sky was dipped in beautiful hues of gold, pinks, and light blues as the twilight set in. His fight against Paul wasn't until early evening, so Jamie spent most of the day training and catching up with his friend Robbie.

He still wore the clothes he had trained in…he honestly felt there was no point to change anyway. Baggy, black, knee length basketball shorts, and a white tank top…he had trained barefoot, but he did put on a pair of white and black Vans shoes.

The tank top read "I'm kind of a big deal", which was his favorite quote from one his favorite movies.

Julia and the others were still hard at work trying to crack the mysteries of the disk…which at this point, had been blown to mythical proportions. The way Julia carried on about this disk Jamie figured that in addition to revealing how he was going to bring about the world's destruction; it would also reveal the meaning of life, the exact location of Atlantis, and hey, while we're at it, where that Ark of the Covenant's been hiding itself.

Mina was off fighting Xiao, so she couldn't come and watch the fight…neither could anyone else, as Kazuya wanted everyone going over attack plans on how exactly they were going to attack Heihachi.

But Robbie snuck away, and came with Jamie.

Everyone else sent their support though…he'd never gotten so many text messages in such a short amount of time.

So here they stood, on the roof of a dilapidated building in a Tokyo ghetto watching the sun set...they were talking earlier…but the conversation had died, and the two friends had lapsed into a comfortable silence…finally, Robbie spoke up.

"So where is this Paul guy anyway? He's late!"

Jamie flipped open his phone and checked the time…and it was true, Paul was fifteen minutes late.

"Isn't there a rule or something that if someone's late then you'll win the fight?"

"Yeah…but Paul gets special treatment 'cause he's been in every single tournament." Jamie replied.

"Wait…is he the one who gels his hair into one big spike?"

"Yup; that's him." Jamie replied.

"And he doesn't quit? God, how old is he?"

"I think he's in his mid forties…he kinda reminds me of those old washed out rockstars…y'know, the ones who were in all those hair metal bands in the eighties?"

Robbie chuckled. "Yeah…I've seen him on TV before…I think he really wants to be the next Chuck Norris or something."

"Yeah…I don't see that happening." Jamie responded.

"So okay…you'll thrash this guy then what?" Robbie asked.

"Well…then next I'd fight Grey…a fight that I'm definantely not looking forward too…and if I manage to survive that fight then I'll take on Kazuya…and if I happen to live through that one too, then I fight Heihachi." Jamie replied.

"Okay…so one pissed off emo kid who traded the ability to cry and write crappy poems for super powers…the guy who used to be Devil who you killed anyway…then some guy who wears his diapers out in public?" Robbie named them off so flippantly that Jamie had to laugh.

"So what're you gonna do when you win? You get that huge corporation and enough money to make Paris Hilton wanna date you…so what're you gonna do with all that?"

"You mean IF I win right? There should be a humongous IF in that sentence."

"No," Robbie said seriously. "I want to know what you're going to do WHEN you win."

For once, Jamie was at a loss for words…he…he had never thought about what he was going to do if he won…the thought had never crossed his mind really…and it hadn't in the last tournament either. Last tournament his mission was to keep a low profile and kill Devil…this tournament, his mission was to stop Heihachi.

The Via de Angelus never told him to win; they just told him what he needed to get done…in fact, that prospect had never even turned up in the thirty page dossiers he'd received for both missions.

Now, for the first time, Jamie Parker was seriously thinking about what he'd do if he won…giving the corporation to Kazuya and Jin seemed like a no brainer…he would have done that anyway…if he was in charge, the Zaibatsu would probably have been run into the ground within a month.

And honestly, the idea of running it didn't seem that appealing to him anyway.

As for the money…he'd probably give some of it to various charities…and then to friends who needed it…the idea of helping Mina's dad out and helping repair his dojo occurred to him.

The rest he'd probably share with his brother and put in his savings account. He knew his brother didn't mind at all…but Jamie felt bad that Justin's money from skating and endorsements were mostly going to him rather then his older brother.

He told Robbie his plans for the money.

"I mean I really don't need all that money…Justin makes plenty of it skating…and…as for me, it's not like I can really enjoy it anyway…remember my sacred duty? I'll be dead before I-"

"Hey! You're not dying on my watch!" Robbie interrupted.

"Thanks," Jamie replied. "I don't know what I'd do without you Mina or Maureen."

"Well-"

Suddenly, someone cleared his throat. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt the Lifetime movie moment."

Jamie and Robbie turned to see Paul Phoenix standing behind them. His arms were folded across his broad chest…he wore a pair of leather pants and a matching leather jacket…his hair stood straight up in one solid spike.

"You can stick around if you want kid," Paul grinned towards Robbie. "Me an' Goldie locks here have a fight and I guess he'll need someone to carry him to the hospital. I'm going to prove that I am the strongest fighter in the world…not even aliens could stop me!"

"That's it," Robbie asked with a chuckle. "That's all you want out of this tournament? What an ass-tard goal."

"None of this concerns you kid…it's between me and you're friend."

"Now Paul, if this is about you're hair then I think it concerns all of us." Jamie replied as he dropped into his stance

Paul dropped into his stance as well. "Your friends got quite a mouth on him…after I'm done with you, I might just have to kick his ass."

"You won't get that chance!" Jamie snarled.

"Fine…this time we fight to the end…those Combots interrupted last time. So bring it on Goldie locks."

"Alright Bart Simpson!" Jamie replied.

The fight was called, and the two lunged at eachother.

_Meanwhile…_

The fight took place deep inside the Mishima Zaibatsu labs. Grey walked through the garage door like entrance and felt the temperature drop about ten degrees. Mist covered his ankles, soaking through his black jeans…and the cold air clung to his tight black and white striped sweater.

His heart thudded in his chest as he noticed his opponent standing at the other end of the short hall…despite the cold he wore no shirt, army pants with boots. He turned, and Grey felt his cold blue eyes bore into his.

"I'm gonna destroy you." Grey snarled.

Bryan Fury smirked, then gave a low chuckle. "You? I was warned about your powers…I have my own too, why don't we just see who's stronger hm?"

Grey didn't say anything…his jaw was firmly set as he stared Bryan down…he'd been waiting for this moment all through out the tournament…he'd fought countless opponents and won each time…and now it was time to exact vengeance.

"You…you burned down my home! You killed the only family I've ever had! You…you burned down an orphanage for Christsake…in one night you killed twenty people! But you made one mistake." Grey said.

"And what's that?" Bryan asked calmly.

"YOU SHOULD'VE KILLED TWENTY ONE YOU BIO ENGINEERED SACK OF SHIT!"

Grey's voice reverberated through the cavernous room and the echo came back and he heard for the first time the…anger held within…and for an instant…just an instant…he wondered what had he become?

What had happened to him?

He'd always been an angry kid before but never like this…he was never this bad.

_That kid is dead…he died with the others in the fire…the fire that THIS MAN STARTED!_

The fight was called, and with a roar that came from deep within, Grey leapt at Bryan.

_New Scene…_

"Whoa!" Jamie yelped in a voice that sounded to stereotypically surfer for his tastes.

He quickly sidestepped from Paul's rushing tackle, and managed to get a light roundhouse kick to Paul's back.

The attack didn't hurt Paul…Jamie hadn't exerted enough force in the blow, and he was off balance while doing it…something to which Paul took immediate advantage of.

The biker got his balance back faster then the Nephilim could, and Paul punched Jamie hard across the face. Jamie bellowed in pain as he landed in a corner, sending pigeons flying.

Paul grinned and walked towards Jamie.

"So this is the kid who keeps me safe from vampires huh? I feel sorry for the rest of mankind!"

Paul picked up a tire iron and walked over to the Nephilim's dazed form.

"How many hits does it take…" Paul began as he swung the tire iron down.

Jamie only had a second to react or it'd all be over…he looked around desperately and found a discarded shovel lying in a heap of tools. Jamie quickly picked it up and blocked the tire iron's blow…and quickly swept Paul off his feet.

"Ooohhh snap; you're screwed now! Jamie, show this guy the ancient art of shovel-fu!" Robbie called.

Jamie held the shovel tightly in his hands and grinned…quickly backing away from Paul as he stood.

"Remember last time we fought Paul? You were trying to teach me all those lessons right? Well here's Nephilim Rule number six: When in doubt, try a garden implement!"

"I will so enjoy wiping that smarmy grin off your punk ass!" Paul said angrily.

Weapons were typically not allowed in the Iron Fist Tournaments…it was called Iron Fist for a reason…however, there were some instances when the rules were wavered…especially in the middle of a good fight…which was exactly what Jamie and Paul were giving.

If Jamie had to pick one weapon out of the endless canon of offensive implements known to man there was one that never let him down; The shovel. Bo staffs break, swords shatter, guns caused more harm then good…but not the shovel.

The shovel was one weapon as silly as it sounded that Jamie was the best at using…many a denizen of the night had fallen underneath it's spade…and now, so would Paul.

Jamie swung the shovel around in broad, sweeping gestures as if he were swinging a baseball bat…mostly to get some distance between him and Paul…several blows connected to the biker…and while the attacks were clearly hurting him, Paul would not give up.

In fact, it seemed that the more Jamie hit him, the more worked up into a fury Paul seemed to get. The tire iron Paul held also landed a few blows on the Nephilim as well…already his ribs felt cracked…and the blow to his chest still stung.

Paul faked to land a blow on Jamie's skull, which the Nephilim moved to block…only to find that instead of careening towards his head, Jamie saw the tire iron zooming towards his kneecap, and as he saw it happen in slow motion, Jamie wasn't fast enough to prevent it…and the end result was catastrophic.

The blow hit, and fireworks exploded behind the Nephilim's eyes and he screamed in pain as he fell on one knee.

"Jamie!" Robbie screamed.

His friend moved to help, but a burly tournament official held him back. White hot, electric pain soared up and down his throbbing, now shattered knee cap.

"Time to end this!" Paul said.

He moved to crack the tire iron over Jamie's head but Jamie quickly, and desperately brought the shovel over his head in defense...and suddenly, Jamie heard another crack as he felt the shovel break in his hands…and something cold and hard hit him over the head.

And suddenly…everything was black…was he dead?

No…no he couldn't have been…because he still felt…things…he could smell the rotted garbage down on the street below…he could hear Robbie scream for the tournament to stop…but what had…

_Blind!_

Jamie panicked.

_Paul struck me blind!_

He couldn't see anything…he could just smell and hear…hear…

Robbie was saying something…but Jamie's mind was blurry as panic set in…one of his worst fears…and he was now living it!

"…he's gonna…that super punch…Jamie jump…"

That's all Jamie had to hear, and that's exactly what he did…he jumped towards the sound of Robbie's voice…screaming in pain as the loose bones in his kneecap shifted as the Nephilim did.

Jamie expected to be hit with Paul's infamous punch anyway…instead, he landed in a roll on the ground…and suddenly, the darkness was replaced by light…blurry light and faces that gradually started to get clearer.

"Are you okay…can you still fight?" The tournament official babbled.

But Jamie was fixated on Paul…he had punched where Jamie had leapt out of the way…he had punched into the concrete wall that housed the stairs to the roof…and on top of his little concrete hut lay many cinderblocks…three of which fell on Paul, among other things, along with an assortment of bricks, and a bag of cement.

Jamie would have laughed if he hadn't been in so much pain…Paul was knocked out cold…the official apparently, hadn't seen the fact that Jamie had broken his kneecap, and assumed that he had only sprained it…with Robbie's help, Jamie stood shakingly and had to blink back the tears of pain.

Jamie had won by default since he was the last one standing, and considering that Paul needed medical attention badly.

"You need medical attention pretty badly too my friend." Robbie said as they watched Paul get carried away.

"Nothing that some rest and an ibuprofen can't fix." Jamie winced as they watched.

"Paul's gonna be pissed when he finds out what happened." Robbie said in a cautionary voice.

"Then let's not be around when he wakes up then." Jamie replied as he (supported by his friend) left the fight scene.

_New Scene…_

Bryan swung a punch, lightning fast, Grey dodged the attack, and planted his combat boot against the wall, quickly, he launched off and struck Bryan hard in the temple. Bryan stumbled backwards and Grey let loose a fury of punches…each time, another image flashed through his mind.

Punch: _The smell of burning leaves as he raced through the forest_

With that punch, Grey had shattered Bryan's nose.

Kick: _The sight of the building being engulfed in flames_

Bryan's kneecap was broken, the whole lower half of his leg was twisted at an odd angle.

Bryan stumbled backwards, but Grey headbutted him in his broken nose…Bryan didn't cry out in pain…didn't cry out in agony…and this only made Grey angrier.

"WHY…WHY WON'T YOU CRY OUT…WHY CAN'T I HURT YOU!" Grey shouted as he kept pummeling.

"I'm no longer human," He chuckled. "Neither are you…look at what you've become…Heihachi's little lap dog…"

In the next instant, Grey had shoved Bryan against the wall and lifted him off the ground in a chokehold.

"Who…who do you think wanted me to start that fire?" Bryan gasped.

"SHUT UP!" Grey screamed, tightening his hold.

"You've been played this whole time little boy…"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Grey screamed.

He flung Bryan against some pipes and they smashed, the next thing Grey knew he was on top of his enemy pummeling him into the pavement.

"HATEYOUHATEYOUHATEYOUHATEYOU!" Grey screamed until his voice was hoarse.

Bryan only laughed as he was being literally beaten to a bloody pulp…Grey's salty tears mixed with the blood spilled on the ground…and then, Grey felt himself being lifted off by tournament officials.

"Mr. Greyson, you will be disqualified if you keep this up."

Grey only stared weakly at the bloody pulp of a man who lay there…he was spent…exhausted and tired…and weak…so weak.

He let himself be carried off by the officials…he heard words around him but he wasn't listening. Heihachi himself came to congratulate him…but all Grey could think of was the words Bryan had spoken…and Grey wondered, if he had been played this whole time…


	31. Chapter 31: Error Proof Test

Chapter Thirty One: Error Proof Test

Author's Note: Alright, no excuses anymore, I've got some real catching up to do.

Okay, this chapter has a strange title…and as this story is kinda coming to a close, this will be the last bit of humor and warm fuzzies for awhile…so, hope you enjoy it.

Mina nervously folded her arms across her chest, and pensively chewed on her thumbnail…a habit picked up from childhood that, in nineteen years, hadn't been able to quit. Jamie found it cute, she found it repulsive.

Quickly, she realized that the habit might be a little disgusting for others to see her do, so she quickly stopped, and wiped her hand discreetly on her pants.

Last tournament, when Jamie had come back to school, he had become a sort of campus celebrity (even more so then he already was); and Mina was proud of him.

No matter what negative things had happened to him, Mina knew that he had gotten one good thing out of it; the ability to break out of his brother's shadow.

Prior to the fifth Iron Fist Tournament, Jamie had been known simply as "Justin Parker's kid brother", Justin, being the skating legend that he was…it was sort of difficult to create one's own identity.

Mina didn't have anything against her boyfriend's brother…he was a sweetheart; he was always kind to her. One time, Jamie invited her over for dinner (this was when they had first met) and Justin had found out that she was lactose intolerant, he quickly ran to the store and made sure that they had plenty of special ice cream for dessert.

It was little things like that which made him such a likable guy, and Mina was glad that Justin had taught these little things to her boyfriend as well.

She sighed and flipped her red streaked hair back…she was fighting in the mall's parking lot today. There was something about two chicks duking it out in the parking garage of a mall that seemed sort of trashy to Mina…but Jamie and Jin's brother Kyo chuckled, and Jamie replied tactfully "That sounds kinda hot".

_What is it with men and two chicks doing…well…anything together…I gotta remember to ask Christie about it later…I mean, it's not like I care to see two guys doing anything…_

Lately, during late night girl talk sessions, Christie had become some sort of guru on the way a man's mind works…sometimes afterwards, Mina would look at Jamie while he played his video games, or listened to his I-pod, or whatever he was doing and wonder if he really honestly thought like that?

"So…it's about to be a girl fight huh?" A voice called from behind her.

"Huh?" Mina asked quickly as she spun around.

The pretty, young Korean girl found herself staring into the face of Christie herself.

"What're you doing here Christie? I thought Kazuya was-"

"Going over battle plans yeah," She yawned and stretched her perfectly tan arms. "But you know me…I've never really been one for book smarts…all I know is that when the time comes, and if Anna attacks, I'm fittin' to choke a bitch…anyway, I'm here to take notes so technically, I'm not doing anything wrong." The Brazilian said with a mischievous grin.

"Oh right…whoever wins this fight will go on to fight you." Mina said, remembering how the Tournament Roster went.

Christie had had a truly wonderful winning streak this tournament. Anyone who used to think of her only as eye candy now, would have to seriously reconsider. Christie had beaten out Julia, and some other heavy hitters in the tournament, and it was truly inspirational to watch her work so hard.

Mina had barely made it by with the skin of her teeth, Jamie begged to differ;

_What's so hard to believe baby? You're a great fighter, you've beaten me down before…stop talking about being so lucky all the time…it's all skill with you._

"You vs. Xiao huh; that's going to be a good match."

"I dunno," Mina replied nervously. "She's really good…I mean, I used to love her when I watched these tournaments on tv…it's going to be so weird fighting her…I think my time as a competitor is going to officially be over," Mina pulled her hair back into a fashionably messy bun, before nervously undoing it and shaking her hair out again.

"Don't ever say that Mina; just because you're new doesn't mean you don't deserve to be here…you've worked just as hard as any of us." Christie said seriously.

"Yeah well tell that to Anna…and Lili…and Grey…and Heihachi…and whoever else has said it; y'know, at first I didn't let it bother me to much…I mean, Anna's a bitch, Lili likewise, but after hearing it over and over again I just get so sick of it!" Mina said heatedly.

"Listen to me," Christie put her hands on Mina's shoulders. "You'll do fine…besides all the girls and guys that actually matter in this tournament have got your back…now go out there and do your best because," Christie glanced behind her. "Looks like your opponent's here."

Quickly, Mina turned to see Xiao walking towards her…her stomach full of butterflies, Mina walked to Xiao…to the center of the ring…where the fight would go down.

_New Scene…_

_I'm not scared…I'm not scared…I'm not scared…I can do this…I can do this…I mean, I'm wearing my Nike Shock shoes, they're cute and sensible, I'm wearing my relaxed jeans, and a top that if it rips or something then I won't care…I'll be okay…just be calm, stay focused and-oh crap! Why isn't Xiao smiling! She always smiles…she's always so nice and-_

"Mina…" Xiao tried to smile, but faltered suddenly.

Immediately, the nervousness of the fight went away, and she felt the desire to rush over and find out what was the matter with her friend. Lately, Xiaoyu had been acting different…she stayed in her room often, and didn't train nearly as frequently as Jamie said she did in the last tournament.

She came out with the group often…but not often enough…Jin said she was tired.

"Xiao; What's wrong?" Mina asked, she quickly moved to embrace her friend, but the tournament official came between them.

"Sorry Ms. Sueng, but you can't lay a hand on her until the fight commences."

"But-" Mina began.

Too quickly, the announcer called the fight, and both girls dropped into their stances. Xiao looked like she had tears in her eyes, and she seemed to be in more of a defensive stance then an offensive.

Mina didn't know what to do, so once the fight was called she did just that…she let loose a right hook, mostly to test Xiao…if something was wrong then she needed attention immediately…maybe Mina could gage a reaction from the fake blow?

Quickly, Xiao grabbed Mina's hand and flipped her to the ground…Xiao continued to hold Mina in a wrist lock, but the attack didn't hurt…the Chinese girl hadn't pinned Mina hard, and she could easily get out…but Xiao moved down to speak to her friend.

Mina didn't catch it all over the noise of the crowd, but she caught the immediate gist of it.

"…think…pregnant…"

_New Scene…_

Xiao had let Mina win the fight…well, the three time Iron Fist alumni simply forfeited…stating plainly that she'd had the flu for the past couple of weeks. Mina, Christie, and Xiao herself sat in the back of the limo talking the whole way.

"I…I…I dunno…I mean, I'm late…I'm always hungry…and I've been thinking…that maybe…I could be…" Xiao said dreamily as she stared out the window.

"Do you know for certain? I mean, how late are you?" Mina asked a little too quickly.

Suddenly, both Christie and Xiao stared at Mina with mildly shocked expressions.

"I…we…well, me and Jamie…we're always very careful…but once well…I was late for a day…it was kinda weird…" Mina sputtered as her face turned as red as her hair.

"It's okay Mina don't worry," Xiao said with a smile. "You're like my sister, you're secrets safe with me."

"Steve and I are always really careful…and besides, my man is satisfied enough without having to go all the way every night." Christie said sagely.

"Well…Jin and I are married now…so we really aren't so…careful…anymore." Xiao interjected.

"Have you two talked about it? Kids I mean."

Xiao nodded. "We want them; we both want them to have the family life we never had…I just don't know if he wants them…y'know, like now."

"Hey," Christie said. "Jin's a good guy Xiao…he'll understand…and if he starts complaining you'd better tell him how he certainly wasn't when he placed the order!"

The moment brought a little bit of laughter to the small group and Mina stared out the window for a second…her eyes focusing on a small convenience store close to the hotel.

"Driver," Mina called politely. "Stop please."

"Wait…why here?" Xiao asked.

"Look, Xiao…we need to buy you a test…I mean, you have to know for sure right? You don't even have to take it now…but…it might be good just to have it on hand. Maybe tonight you can sit Jin down and take it." Mina said calmly with a smile.

Xiao looked a little scared for a minute until Christie reassured her.

"Don't worry, we're going with you...we'll try to help you pick out the best ones."

_New Scene…_

"Ah the feminine hygiene aisle…I can never get Steve to come down this far…he'll only go as far as the condoms so he can silently brag to everyone and anyone about the size we buy." Christie said.

"Jamie'll come down here with me, he doesn't care…he says that they're obviously not for him, so what in the hell is the big deal about it." Mina replied.

The aisle itself seemed to stretch on forever, it was located on the drugstore side of the grocery store right in front of the doors…an express lane with a rather bored looking cashier dotted the otherwise nondescript and depressing atmosphere of the store.

"Well…here we are…" Xiao said with a fake smile. "Y'know…I was so worried during this fight Mina; I don't even know if I'm pregnant or not but…but…I already love this baby…and I'm gonna protect it with all my might…and if that means forfeiting the tournament then fine…and even…even if I'm not well…" Xiao smiled genuinely this time. "I'm honored that you're continuing to fight."

Mina was shocked…at the words, and tears started to roll down her eyes…she had always looked up to Xiaoyu and now these words that were coming from her well…

"Hey," Christie interrupted. "I found this one…it's called The Error Proof Test, and it's 99.9 percent accurate."

She handed the box to Mina who wiped her eyes and read the directions aloud.

"Blue if pregnant…Red if not…okay, sounds easy enough."

"Mina…if I give you money…would you…it's just that Jin and I come in here sometimes and,"

"Don't worry about it, I got this; this is my first time in this establishment and I don't mind to have my reputation tarnished." Mina said with a grin.

_Meanwhile…_

Hwoarang let out a loud, audible sigh as he stood in the…feminine hygiene aisle looking disgustedly at the various assortments of products.

"Okay," He grumbled into this phone. "Do you want the slim fit? The one with the wings? This ones called Tampax Pearl…what in the hell do you need pearls for? Is it some kind of sexual thing?"

"I will not have this conversation with you over the phone," Julia said as if addressing a five year old, Hwoarang could tell she was embarrassed…but why? He was the one down here, not her. "I told you what I needed before you left. Maybe if you weren't staring blankly at that idiot box with the other boys you'd remember."

"Well…why couldn't you have gone?" Hwoarang countered.

"Because I'm almost done getting rid of the firewalls on this disk…just one more, and we can actually find out what's on this bitch and finally figure out what Heihachi's planning…you were just playing that stupid video game with the other boys while Jin, Kaori, Kazuya, Asuka and I were actually working!"

"Hey, Halo is not a stupid game, and I was doing fine until Steve shot me in the face! Now my highscore probably went down and my character is just standing there waiting to get shot at."

"Then hurry up…seems like both of us need your sorry ass back here immediately!" Julia shouted, finally losing her cool.

"Okay, okay," Hwoarang said. "Here, I'm getting these; their the cheapest ones," He looked at the box and found a yellow coupon sticking to it. "Hey, it says here that if you buy this brand you get a free pack for heavy days; do you-"

"Just come back please…" Julia said with a frustrated sigh.

"Okay…I'll be back, y'know I really do love you to be doing this." Hwoarang said.

"I know," Julia said, her anger melting away. "And I really appreciate it…I love you too."

The two said their good-byes and Hwoarang began to make a dash towards the express lane, but stopped dead in his tracks; all the way at the other end of the aisle stood Xiaoyu, Christie, and Mina.

They were talking in low voices, while Christie handed Mina a small box. Xiaoyu pointed at it, and muttered something to Mina who nodded. Hwoarang looked at her, and noticed that she had tears in her eyes.

Mina went to the register to pay for the item, but not before Hwoarang saw the box.

"Error…Proof…Test…hm…OH GOD!"

_Back at the hotel…_

"Ha ha…look, at Hwoarang's character…let's push him off the cliff again." Jamie Parker said as he looked at the tv screen.

Steve, Kyosuke, Peter, Robbie, and himself were involved in a pretty intense game of Halo. With three X Box's connected via X Box live, the game had gone on for about an hour and a half.

In that time, Jamie's shattered knee cap had mended itself from a crippling wound, to a minor ache; he now walked with a slight limp that would be gone completely by the morning.

"What're we going to do if Kazuya finds out you guys?" Peter asked, worriedly checking the door.

"I'm healing remember? You guys just came to check on me." Jamie said, as he managed to successfully push Hwoarang's comatose character off the cliff.

"Dad's probably just gonna sigh and yell at us to come back." Kyo responded as he snuck up from behind and shot Robbie's character in the face.

"That's what I'm a little afraid of." Peter said, as he managed to clip Steve's character pretty good with the assault rifle.

"You worry too much Pete…honestly, what's he gonna do…we were all bored to tears before Jamie came back anyway…I think he sorta expects this outta us." Steve added.

"Yeah," Jamie responded. "I have a feeling that really showing my potential with that guy could reeaaalllly cut in to my sittin' around time." He finished.

"But…the demons…and vampires…" Peter sputtered weakly.

"Relax Pete; I'm just kidding," Jamie smiled. "I'm very focused…in fact, it's kinda all I can think about right now…but what good can a Nephilim be with a broken knee cap anyway? Just think of this as a little 'study break' we all kinda needed to unwind…after this game we'll probably make our way back."

"We will? I'm the friend here…remember, no super powers or martial arts talents to speak of." Robbie added.

"Shut up Robbie don't think that just 'cause you're normal you'll be getting outta this." Jamie said with mock anger.

"Can we please not talk about this anyway?" Kyo asked as he shot Hwoarang's character with the sniper rifle…once again, he slumped over dead.

"Where did Hwoarang go anyway?" Peter asked.

Suddenly, he burst into the room, with his little bag of tampons in hand…he looked like he had run the whole way back.

"Jamie…" He gasped. "Mina…grocery store…hygiene aisle… Error…Proof…Test…"

"What!" Jamie asked. "Hwoarang, what're you trying to say?" The Nephilim asked as he limped towards his Korean friend.

_In Christie's Room_

"We'll do it in here…as long as they're playing that stupid video game I think we'll be alright." Christie said as she nervously checked down the halls.

Luckily no one else was in the room…Christie roomed with Steve, and he, like most of the other boys were locked deep in an intense Halo battle.

"Now…are you sure that you want to do this now?" Mina asked Xiao.

"I do…I really do…I gotta know." She said with a smile.

"Do you need us to come in with you?" Christie asked.

"Thanks," Xiao began. "But if I'm going to embarrass myself by peeing on a stick I think I'd prefer to do it behind closed doors."

So, Xiao closed the door, leaving Mina and Christie to wait in the threshold.

"Well…" Christie began. "Looks like you'll be fighting me tomorrow…try not to kick my ass too badly alright…I need this pretty face for my job."

"I won't…but you'd better not beat me too hard either." Mina countered.

"Oh, and I've been meaning to ask you…I know it's random but I keep forgetting," Christie began. "Right when I got my invitation they wanted me to do some hip hop dancing at the after party when the tournament's over…I was wondering if you'd like to do it with me?"

"Really?" Mina asked in a shocked voice. "You want my help?"

"Of course I do, the other girls can dance okay…but you…you're awesome…in fact, I can pull some strings and you could be a part of the Pussy Cat…"

"Thanks…but I think if I was in it, my dad would kill me." Mina said with a chuckle.

"I understand." Christie replied with a smile.

"You guys," A voice called from behind the bathroom door. "Set the timer, we gotta wait ninety seconds."

_Meanwhile…_

"WHAT!" Jamie asked.

"Look…I'm just telling you what I saw alright." Hwoarang said calmly.

"Wait…no…I mean…it can't be…we just…no…" Jamie nervously began to pace back and forth across the room.

"Well…are you sure…did the rubber break or something?" Steve asked.

"What?" Jamie asked panickedly. "I don't know…but I mean, she's on the pill too even if it did."

"There's no real way for safe sex Jamie…except for abstinence." Peter said gently.

"Peter not now alright!" Jamie barked a little too harshly. "It's not like I sleep around or anything…she's the first girl I…I mean…the only one I ever wanted to…" Jamie trailed off and sat on the bed.

"What're you gonna do if it's positive Jamie?" Robbie asked.

"I…I guess I'll do what needs to be done I'll be a man about it that's for sure…I could never leave her in that situation." Jamie replied.

"Listen, these kinda things happen all the time…and she's probably not even pregnant just scared…that's all." Hwoarang said.

"It's not that you guys," Jamie sighed. "Look, Potential Nephilim are taken from birth and raised at headquarters…and y'know, they're taught to live alone, die alone, and all that…they have these things called the Three Cardinal Sins that they teach the kids…one of which is that love, other then the love for humanity, and all things in God's creation is evil. And that to love another on an intimate level is the highest act of selfishness a Nephilim can create…they never document it…but I know that Nephilim have had children before…and they just…disappear…if Mina's pregnant…then…then I'd have to get her and the baby to safety…I don't know what the VDA does to the baby, but I don't want my kid to have to find out!" Jamie said.

Silence entered the room for a moment…before Peter said softly.

"I'm sorry Jamie…for what I said…I know that you and Mina love eachother very much."

"It's okay Pete." Jamie replied with a smile.

"Well, the VDA better watch it's ass…'cause that secret society's gonna have a pissed off Australian to deal with." Robbie said.

"And a whole slew of awesome martial artists." Hwoarang added.

"Yeah, guess it doesn't hurt to have the middle weight champion of the world as an uncle huh…I am going to be an official uncle right?" Steve asked.

"Yeah…" Jamie chuckled. "Of course you will be…all of you…and the girl's will be aunts…that babies going to be loved goddammit."

Jamie sighed and stood up, walking to the door. "Guess I'd better go get the verdict…how do I look by the way…do I look fatherly enough?" He asked gesturing to his tanktop and shorts.

"Hey, my adoptive dad practically lived in those wife beaters." Steve replied.

Jamie laughed as he walked out the door…the others waited for a few seconds before Hwoarang got up and walked to the door.

"Wait…where are you going?" Kyo asked.

"C'mon, I wanna know if Mina's preggers or not…you coming with me?"

Wordlessly the other boys got up and walked out of the room…as they walked Jin stepped out of the conference room that the group had been using as a research area.

"Wait what's going on?" He asked.

"Mina's pregnant c'mon!" Kyo replied.

"WHAT!" Jin asked, following the group down the hall.

_New Scene…_

"Well…is it blue or red?" Mina asked excitedly.

"Um…it's…pink…" Xiao crinkled her nose.

"What? What's pink mean?" Christie asked.

"Wait…let me see it." Mina said.

She gingerly took it and walked out of the bathroom, holding it to the light.

After several seconds, the pink turned into a light blue…then darker…and darker…until it finally became an azure blue.

"XIAO…YOU'RE PREGNANT !" Mina screamed.

At that instant, the door busted open with Jamie…and the boys standing in the threshold.

"Mina…I…" Jamie sputtered.

"Jamie…what's the matter you look like you've seen a ghost." Mina asked…he did look terrified.

"I…know that you…bought the…test…and I need to know if you're pregnant or not because…"

"Jamie." Mina interrupted, unable to suppress her laughter.

"Let me finish." Jamie said gently. "I wanted you to know that I'll do the right thing and take care of this baby with you…no matter what the Via de Angelus says…I'll quit fighting demons if I have to and we'll…"

"Jamie…what…are you…"

"I saw you buy the test Mina." Hwoarang replied gently.

"Wait a second." Christie giggled. "Mina bought the test for-"

"For me!" Xiao added.

"Wait…then that means that…" Jamie began, relief flooding his features.

"No…not me…Xiao!" Mina replied.

It took a second to register, until everyone wanted to know what the test read for Xiao. Jin stepped forward…his face calm and cool.

"Well…Ling…what does it say?" He asked.

"Jin…it's positive…I'm pregnant!" Xiao said with a truly happy smile.

"What? I'm gonna be an uncle?" Kyo shouted.

"Jin I wanted to tell you but I didn't know." Xiaoyu began.

"It's alright, I'm so proud of you…of us…" Jin said as the two embraced and kissed.

"Alright alright people nothing to see here," Christie began. "Let's move along!"

And they did…to give the newly discovered parents their privacy.

_Later that Evening…_

"Wasn't it sweet the way Jin reacted when he found out?" Mina asked.

"Mmmhhmmm," Jamie responded through a mouthful of toothpaste from the bathroom.

He quickly spit it out, and walked towards the bed.

"They've been talking for awhile now…I hope everything's okay." He asked as he hopped under the covers.

"Everything's fine. They just need some alone time that's all." Mina said serenely.

In the eight hours since the incident, everyone found out about Xiao's pregnancy, everyone was ecstatic, Kaori and Julia were even crying! Even Kazuya seemed a bit choked up by the news.

The lights were off in Jamie and Mina's room…and immediately, the Nephilim began to doze off…Mina however, was still awake, staring into the darkness contemplating.

"…Jamie?"

"Hm?" He asked sleepily.

"Did…did you really mean what you said to me earlier? Y'know, when you thought it was me who was pregnant?"

Jamie sat up now, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Yeah…I mean, of course I do…I…I want kids with you."

"Really?" Mina asked.

"Well…yeah…but I want them planned y'know? I mean, me and my brother are so far apart in age all of my parent's friends used to joke around about how I wasn't planned…and it always used to bother me. See, my parents loved me, and Justin loved me and it never bothered me until people kept making jokes about it."

"So…you want to actually plan to have a kid?" Mina asked.

"Yeah…that doesn't sound too lame does it?"

"No…" Mina said with a smile. "It sounds beautiful."

She kissed him softly on the lips.

"Just…not right now though, just so we understand each other."

"Of course!" Mina laughed.

Suddenly, the lights turned on and Hwoarang entered the room with his eyes shut.

"You guys aren't naked are you? If you are then hurry up and get dressed!"

"Why? What's going on?" Jamie asked.

"Julia's cracked that bitch disk wide open…c'mon hurry up!"

"We'll be right there." Mina said in an all business tone.


	32. Chapter 32: Rock Bottom

Chapter Thirty Two: Rock Bottom

Author's Note: Okay you know me…I bombard you with things to think about and then do one chapter to fully explain the on going theme…well, get ready people because this is THAT chapter. Oh, and fair warning…cursing comes later in the chappie

Once again, sleep eluded Jamie Parker as he shuffled into Julia's room. The Nephilim rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned as he took in the surroundings.

Julia Chang, in a black spaghetti strap top, and shorts sat at the small writing desk…several empty coffee cups sat in various locations across the desk, but it was dominated mainly by a sleek looking laptop computer.

Jamie looked around and noticed several articles and pieces of paper strewn about the room, and dominating one wall was a dry erase board with a sort of flow chart; his name, along with several others including Grey and his friends, had arrows that pointed to different subjects…most of which were festooned with question marks.

Everyone stood in the room with baited breath…waiting for what Julia was going to say…and suddenly, Jamie was struck with the realization that this was EXACTLY what had happened during the last tournament.

_In fact…we're all kinda standing in the same place…only there are more of us now…_

Even he was standing in the same position as last time…and with this realization came another:

It was on a night like this, that he found out he would was going to die by the end of the tournament.

He'd cheated death of course…but death could only be cheated so many times…and that's when he realized he needed to know…he had to know what was on this disk…how exactly, as Heihachi had put it, he would bring about the destruction of the world.

Honestly, about eighty five percent of himself wanted to just give it up and go back to bed…but the other fifteen percent…needed to know.

"Julia," Jamie began evenly. "What do we know?"

"It wasn't easy," Julia began as she took her glasses off and rubbed her temples. "But the firewalls are down, and I've read most of everything here…and from what I'm seeing…"

"It isn't good." Jin interrupted…although it was more of a statement then a question.

Julia shook her head sadly.

"O…kay…well we knew this wasn't going to have all the winning lotto numbers on it; so what's the big bad I've gotta fight now?" Jamie asked with his arms folded across his chest.

"Alright…how many people have heard the names Princess Konohana; Aeon Calcos; and Spyros Calcos?"

No one responded.

"I didn't think so…only a few people have even heard of them…and they're supposedly myth anyway."

"So who are they?" Kazuya asked.

"Well," Julia sighed. "Presumably, they were the young heirs to the thrones of the greatest cities of the ancient world…and possibly the modern ones too."

"Which are?" Hwoarang asked.

"Almost everybody's heard of Atlantis right? That city out in the ocean near Greece?"

"The one that sank right; Plato wrote about it…" Mina added.

"Right; Plato said that Atlantis was the most advanced civilization the world had ever seen. It possessed technology that, even by modern standards was quite impressive. But…as the story goes the Atlanteans got greedy and tried to rule the world…Poseidon; the Greek God of the sea, decided to punish the people and drowned the city…thus, killing the race."

"Didn't we go over this before?" Steve asked. "Remember, a couple of months ago? Crystalline city, and taking down Jinpachi Mishima and all that? Wasn't that Atlantis or something?"

"I'll get to that in a minute." Julia chided.

"Right, we all know that Atlantis isn't a myth…we've kinda sorta been there..right?" Jamie asked.

"The story that Plato wrote was true; but only to a certain extent. Atlantis did sink…but there was much more to it then simply the fact that Poseidon got angry. The term Atlanteans is used to describe the people who resided in Atlantis…but the overall, general term for their race was…"

"Amenes…" Xiaoyu responded. "I remember."

"Right…and the Amenes had built great, fantastic cities all over the world…ever notice how every civilization has some kind of legend based upon this Atlantis fable? That's because for every civilization, there was a great, Amenes city."

"A monomyth…" Kazuya added.

"Exactly." Julia said.

"So then…what happened to all these other cities?" Christie wondered.

"For every city as you will recall from our last brush with this civilization, they had built a kind of power source…some force of raw, untapped energy that powered their city…some how, some way, these people could harness energy even more proficiently then we ever could have imagined…and to take this power source, was to destroy the city and it's people. The Atlanteans knew this, and began to lay siege to every Amenes city they could find…and take the power source." Julia said.

"But how…you can't just put it in a bag and walk off." Hwoarang snorted.

"That's right…and I'll get to that in a moment." Julia said heatedly.

"Okay," Jamie breathed. "Keep going Julia."

"Alright; so for years, the Atlanteans wage all out war and they lay siege to each and every city…leaving a path of destruction in their wake…until they come to a city in Asia known as P'ang Sha."

"The king of Atlantis sends his two sons Spyros and his younger brother Aeon into battle. The two, although only twenty or so, have made a name for themselves as ruthless warriors. The fight leads them deep into the main stronghold of P'ang Sha, and the two brothers are separated. Meanwhile, the Princess of the city, Princess Konohana is ordered to flee deep underground."

"Did they catch her?" Kyo wondered.

"She hides with the power sources' main protector…a young, nameless man with," Julia quoted from her computer screen "'skills that surpassed even the strongest of warriors…and who could heal faster then any of his brethren.'"

"That's easy," Jamie said. "Nephilim."

"Eventually, the two brothers reunite beneath the ground and Aeon, murders this nameless Nephilim. While this is going on, Spyros, steals the energy from the power source and the mission is complete…or so it seems…as soon as Aeon murders the Nephilim…and the life is drained from the warrior, another Nephilim is activated…and his name is Aeon."

"Whoa." Robbie breathed.

"Talk about irony." Christie added.

"With this new sense of power, comes the understanding of what a Nephilim is…and Aeon realizes well, to paraphrase Hwoarang, how badly he fucked up." Julia paused and everyone looked at Jamie.

"Well…I didn't feel immediately drawn to kill things or anything…when I first found out." He muttered sheepishly.

"Aeon, regrets what he did immediately but heads back to Atlantis with his army, the power source, and the newly captured Princess Konohana…now, in ancient times, prisoners of war were often killed publicly as a sort of PR stunt…and this was exactly what would have happened to Princess Konohana if Aeon hadn't intervened. He saves her, and pleads with his father to have her life in the Atlantean sanctuary of the power source…his father, begrudgingly agrees…and with his new powers, Aeon too, decides to leave the palace for a life of solitude in the sanctuary to protect the power source with the other priests and priestesses. Konohana is allowed to live as long as she never leaves the sanctuary grounds."

"How sad…" Kaori murmured.

"It is during this time that Aeon begins to realize that all the fighting and warfare isn't necessary…that eventually, Atlantis will become the most hated nation in the world, and will eventually crumble…however, his father and older brother Spyros completely disagree and a wedge is brought between them. Aeon continues to plead and plead for the fighting and bloodshed to stop, but to no avail, and eventually, Aeon is deemed a traitor to the Atlantean society."

"And that's not good on so many levels." Peter added.

"As the months pass…Konohana eventually begins to fall in love with Aeon and he too falls in love with her…the two are inseparable…and often talk of the future…they want to leave Atlantis and start over somewhere else, but find that they can't leave, as Aeon is bound to protect the power source…for he fears if he doesn't it will be used to shed more blood."

"Talk about a guy who's attached to his work." Mina chuckled nervously.

"Since Aeon is officially bound to the power source, only he activate it's true potential…and one day, that would be the undoing of him. Some time later his brother and father wanted to again, wage war on another Amenes city; they needed Aeon to activate the power source to give them the strength to fight. Aeon refused…eventually, he, and Konohana stand alone before the Atlantean army, Aeon's father, and brother. Aeon and his brother are talking, and Spyros raises his sword at Aeon…eventually, Aeon's father orders to attack and Spyros runs Aeon, his own brother, through with his sword…Aeon collapses in a heap but does not die…instead, he watches Konohana, the love of his life, also get brutally murdered by Spyros. Konohana dies before Aeon naturally, as she is a mortal…and seeing his beloved murdered invokes a rage on Aeon. While this is going on, Spyros attempts to harness the power of the power source…but becomes a hideous monster, to reflect the darkness in his heart…a green skinned, tall, monster."

"Ogre…" Jin shuddered.

"Spyros, in his new form takes the life of his own father to become even more powerful."

"And that's true Ogre right?" Jamie asked.

"Correct…but what Spyros a.k.a. True Ogre doesn't realize, is the fact that Aeon, while he's still alive, can control the power source…so, with his last ounce of strength, Aeon binds it…and destroys the power…leaving Spyros to die as well. All three players in this tragedy are now dead; Aeon, Spyros, and Konohana."

"Alright; so this happened thousands of years ago…why does it matter today? And if this Ogre fella died so long ago…why was he around a couple of years ago?" Robbie asked.

"Ogre is not one being…the Ogre that we fought and our relatives before us Toshin were simply two of many…which, fortunately are dying quickly. This disk says that in order to 'invoke an Ogre' one with the darkness in one's heart has to harness the power of an Amenes power core. The Amenes city we found a couple of months ago was one that had been untouched by the Atlanteans…and if you'll remember, Heihachi had resurrected Ogre from the power source of another Amenes city a few years back." Julia said.

"So alright…he wants to bring Ogre back into being so badly but he's running out of options," Jamie debated. "Steve, Dimitri, Hwoarang, and Raven destroyed the power core a few months back, and Jin and Patrick killed that Ogre five years ago…seems Heihachi's gonna have a tough time finding another one."

"Not necessarily," Julia argued. "He found a more…metaphysical way to invoke an Ogre this time…"

"This has to do with the Ritual of Triumvarence right Julia?" Kazuya asked.

"Right, and this is where is gets strange…like I said before, these three; Aeon, Konohana, and Spyros are dead; Atlantis is sunk, and thousands die…but their…spirits live on…"

"What!" Almost everyone asked.

"The battle that broke about between the three of them, particularly between Aeon and Spyros is something that refuses to die…and over the thousands of years…three are always chosen to continue this fight." Julia said gently…looking down suddenly.

_I think I know where this is going…_

"Heihachi had originally thought that the three who were chosen to continue this fight were you Kazuya, Lee, and Jun…then, that fell through…next, he thought it might have been Jin, Hwoarang, and you Xiao…but once again, he was wrong and now its…"

"Julia," Mina began, looking as if she was going to be sick. "Don't…"

"It's me isn't it…" Jamie began hollowly. "Me…Grey…and…"

No one said anything, Mina only blanched.

"What…what happens…when we all fight?"

"Jamie…Mina…maybe you shouldn't…" Julia began.

"JUST TELL ME DAMMIT!" Jamie shouted with his eyes closed.

"…you…neither of you survive it Jamie…no one ever has…the spirits possess the body, and they fight to the death…and presumably…Ogre is spawned from that malice." Julia finished gently.

"…no…" Jamie shook his head defiantly.

"Jamie," Xiao soothed trying to put her hand on his shoulder.

"NO!" Jamie shouted, darting away. "NO! JUST DON'T…DON'T TOUCH ME…" He finished.

He chuckled ruefully and shook his head again, before rubbing his eyes and running a hand through his hair.

"Oh…shit…" He murmured. "Well…I'm not doing it…I won't do it…I'm not putting you guys, or Mina, or anyone in anymore danger." He said.

"Jamie…there must be a way…we've found one in the past and we'll do it again…we just need to," Mina began.

"No…I said I'm not doing this anymore," He looked up, and he felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. "I quit…I'm not doing this Nephilim thing anymore, you can find someone else to fight your demons and win your battles because I'VE HAD IT!"

Jamie walked to the wall and punched it…he barely exerted any force, and now, there was a neat little hole in the plaster.

And it made him angry.

He wanted to damage his body…he wanted to mangle it…he wanted to cut himself…he wanted to do something hazardous to it…but because he was a freak, he would heal too soon. He wanted to punch the wall until his hand was broken and keep punching until the delicate bones were shattered like tiny pieces of glass.

"I'm so sick of being a freak…I'm FUCKING SICK OF IT!"

"Jamie…you can't deny what you are…billions of people," Kazuya began.

"SHUT THE HELL UP KAZUYA! You don't know…you don't know…YOU KILLED ME ONCE!" Jamie roared…suddenly, he was racked again with sobs and he sat for a moment. "Kazuya," He almost whimpered. "I'm nineteen years old…I don't wanna die…"

Kazuya knew he should admonish him for acting so foolish…so selfish…for crying like a child…and yet, as he stared at Jamie's red, tear stained face, he realized…Jamie Parker was still a child…Jamie had been so brave…and now…now he had reached his wit's end…and, Kazuya, and everyone else in the room saw Jamie Parker at his weakest.

Mina was crying…and Robbie stormed over to the computer screen in front of a bewildered Julia.

"No…keep checking…there's more on here right? KEEP CHECKING!" He screamed.

"I mean; I just told my girlfriend that I wanted to have kids with her not twenty minutes ago…and now, I find out that not only am I going to die…BUT I'M TAKING HER WITH ME! Nuh-uh…this isn't flying…I'm not doing this."

Jamie began to storm out of the hotel room, people wondered where he was going but he didn't respond. He needed air…he needed something…his body felt too uncomfortable for him…and he walked…just walked, until he suddenly felt the balmy, late summer night air on his skin.

Carefully, Jamie weighed his options…he and Mina could go away…fly far away and never be seen again…they could go anywhere in the world and live happily ever after…this ritual couldn't be completed without the right people which meant…that if one of them were to die then…

And it occurred to him right then; if Jamie died then the ritual couldn't be completed…in fact, it seemed as if the world would be a much better place if he wasn't in it at all.

Suddenly, he looked around; he was outside the hotel now, and had wandered into an alley near the building…large buildings dominated the Tokyo skyline…how long had he been walking…how long had he been thinking.

Jamie was tired…so very…very tired…both physically and mentally, and the weight of the world began to crash heavily on him.

He couldn't go on…he couldn't do it anymore…this…this life he was leading was too hard…he'd tried hard, he'd given it a good run…but in the end…he'd failed.

Jamie felt as if he was watching himself do this from a corner…his eyes stared blankly at the broken beer bottle lying on the ground…and he watched himself gingerly, pick up a piece of the broken glass, and stretch his arm out.

The amber glass caught tonight's moon beautifully…and that's when Jamie realized it would be the last moon he'd ever see.

_My life is one…long…night…oh well, I guess I really was supposed to die under the moon like all the Nephilim before me…_

Soon another would be called…and it would be his cross to bear…for Jamie Parker simply couldn't do it anymore…he raised the glass to his wrist…and sliced it…praying…praying for the courage to press down.

And suddenly, he felt a punch to the face…he lay sprawled against the alley before he was picked up roughly, and jammed against the brick.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" The voice sounded angry, and the man's eyes flashed with pure rage.

"…Jin…"

"ANSWER ME!" He growled.

"…ending it…"

"WHAT!"

"ENDING IT!" Jamie screamed back.

Jamie struggled in Jin's grasp, but lacked the strength to wrest out of it.

"How selfish can you be?" Jin asked letting Jamie go.

"I already told Kazuya that…"

"No, not for the billions who depend on you; but for those who know you…for those who care for and love you."

"Jin…just go alright?"

"What, no clever retort? You mean to tell me that you stopped Devil, saved my father, saved me, saved the Successor Nephilim, defeated Jinpachi, and, oh yeah, killed hundreds of vampires and saved the world even before I met you; and you want to end it by cutting yourself in a back alley?"

"I'm just…" Jamie sputtered weakly.

"Look…I know its hard, but you've gotta be strong Jamie…you need to know that we're all here for you and that we'll figure a way around this…you know we will."

"I don't know," Jamie chuckled. "This one seems pretty airtight."

"We'll find a way…we always do…and if not then we'll…hide you until this ritual passes, but…just…have faith alright?" Jin asked.

Jamie thought it over for a moment before nodding his head. "You're right…and I'm…I'm sorry…I'm not normally prone to freak out like that."

"Hey, we all have our moments sometimes…and believe me, you're entitled…just…don't make a habit of it alright? As Hwoarang would say, I don't want you going all emo on me." Jin said.

"I…won't…and…Jin?"

"Yes?"

"Can we…keep how you found me…to ourselves?" Jamie asked.

Jin smiled. "Of course…don't worry, I'll just say you were…"

And suddenly Jin's smile twisted into a look of extreme agony…and Jamie saw.

_-arrow protruding from his shoulder and oh…God-_

Quickly, Jamie looked up just in time to see Grey standing atop the building with a crossbow in hand, he winked at Jamie before blowing a kiss, and leaving.

"JIN…JIN NO!" Jamie screamed.

He held his friend who shuddered in agony from the wound…Jin's skin turned pale suddenly, and Jamie, with his keen sense of smell, picked up the acrid odor of…

"Poison tipped arrow…" He murmured. "Oh…God…Jin…please…hold on…"


	33. Chapter 33: More Then Useless

Chapter Thirty Three: More Then Useless

Author's Note: Another chapter, please read and review and oh yeah, ENJOY!

Jamie Parker hated hospitals…he'd always had a childhood fear of them, and being in one at night did little to alleviate his fears…especially since he was in the ICU ward standing over the body of one of his good friends.

The fact that it was all his fault he was in here also weighed heavily on his conscious.

Jin Kazama, young heir to the Mishima Zaibatsu lay on the clammy hospital bed, his face and body as ashen and pale as the vampires that the Nephilim worked so hard to fight night after night. His body was shiny with a thin layer of sweat, and a look of complete and total agony contorted his features.

Whenever Jamie closed his eyes he could see the arrow protruding from Jin's shoulder…feel the life drain from his body…and see…

Grey's grinning, laughing, face.

When Jamie thought about Grey he could feel his fists clench and shake with rage…Jamie had never hated anyone in his life with as much ferocity as he did Grey…and in some ways, that worried him.

At first, The Nephilim felt sorry for the troubled young man, and thought maybe, if the two could talk, then he'd cross over to the good guys; then when Jamie realized that wouldn't happen, Grey was an annoyance…and now…

Now…Jamie seriously considered killing him…

Grey…how could anyone be so evil…so calculating…so…heartless!

It didn't matter now, there was no point in dwelling on it anymore; right now he needed to be in the here and now.

"Doctor Boskonovitch?" Xiaoyu asked. "What's wrong with Jin? Is the poison treatable?"

"Hm," The kindly, bespectacled doctor gazed at Jin's body, before coming to rest on the festering sore that the arrow had jettisoned through. "Ah…yes…I've seen this before…back when I used to work with Abel in the labs…I've only seen the prototype…but the poison has never been used in the field…well, until today."

"Well what is it then?" Kazuya asked.

"This particular poison attacks the central nervous system…granting the victim twenty four hours of life…"

"So…he'll…die…" Julia asked.

"There's a cure right? You said you've seen it before as a prototype so that means you must have made a cure." Hwoarang said.

"In…a manner of speaking there is one…" Dr. B began. "Abel created this strain of virus to target one person in particular…back in early 2002 for a certain Nephilim in Brisbane Australia."

"Mark Baker," Jamie responded hollowly as he stared blankly at Jin. "The Nephilim before me."

"Right." Dr. B replied.

"But Jin told me that Mark was bitten by a werewolf…and that in the end, Jin had to kill him so he wouldn't turn." Kyo argued.

"That's what Heihachi finally decided to do yes." Dr. B agreed.

"Alright, so what's the cure for this virus…we don't have a lot of time." Kazuya asked.

"The only known cure for this virus is…blood…more specifically, the blood of a sacred warrior…thus, the irony…there is a cure to this disease, but it's from something that isn't available when the victim needs it. The plan to eliminate Mark was to inject him with this virus and watch him die a slow and painful death…the cure, a new Nephilim wouldn't have been available until he was dead and his Successor was activated…"

_Me…_

That put a new twist on things indeed…Jamie didn't know a lot about Mark…and although he knew the truth behind the events that eventually lead to his Awakening…he found it weird that if Heihachi had proceeded with the original plan; Jamie Parker would unknowingly wake up on that fateful morning unaware of the events in Australia and also ignorant to the fact that the blood that coursed through his veins could have saved Mark.

And suddenly, as his icy blue eyes stared at his friends agonized form it occurred to him…

"We have a cure." He said slowly.

Everyone turned with shocked expressions to the silent Nephilim.

Wordlessly, Jamie walked over to a tray where a syringe, and tube lay, and picked them up.

"Maybe I can salvage something from this evening after all." He said in a low, emotion less tone as he stared down at Jin. "Dr. B; hook me up."

"Don't Jamie! This is just what Heihachi wants!" Mina warned.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Jamie…it's not known how much blood it takes to cure the virus," Dr. B said gently as he took the syringe and tube away. "It could take dangerous quantities of it from your body; before we even see results."

"Well, I'm sure as hell not using any of it right now…and besides, this is how it all goes right? Jin takes the life of a good friend and a Nephilim and is haunted by it…and now it comes full circle with a Nephilim taking his life to save a good friend…I mean, it's my own damn fault he came outside to find me."

"Jamie…no one's blaming you…" Xiaoyu said in a soft voice. "You couldn't have known that Grey was coming and it was a lot of information to hear in one night."

"Exactly Xiao; I save your husbands life…I give your baby back a father, in exchange for my life and Heihachi can't conduct this ritual…everyone wins."

"No we don't!" Hwoarang barked. "THAT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT JAMIE AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"Mina's right," Kaori added. "It's what Heihachi really wants…I mean, sure he wants his pet Ogre; but it wouldn't matter to him if you died either Jamie."

"You've been a pretty big thorn in grandpa's side for awhile now, and if you're gone he still has Grey." Kyo said.

"Grey's like his own private Nephilim-but-not-really anyway," Christie said. "And…and if you kill yourself like this Jamie…then you're just proving to Heihachi that you really are weak." She finished.

Everyone stood in stunned silence at Christies words…because, they were deep, meaningful, and they made sense.

"What," She chuckled nervously. "I'm allowed to have layers to my personality."

"Jamie, don't take the cowards way out man, I know you…hell I roomed with you…and we'll figure this whole mess out…Jin will be okay." Steve said.

The overwhelming love in the room seriously made Jamie want to cry…for some perverse reason he still wanted them all to hate him…to shout and proclaim that it was all his fault so he could act like the martyr and save Jin's life…

That would be the easy way out of course.

As far as Nephilim deaths go it would be like a dream vacation…the luxury to die the way that most normal people go.

Falling asleep and never waking up…it seemed so nice…

But Hwoarang was right; it was the cowards way out and something deep down that he was even afraid to admit to himself wanted to live more then anything in the world.

Jamie stared at his friends around him, and smiled fleetingly…

"I…I think I need some air…"

As he walked out of the room he heard Asuka mutter under her breath.

"Are we so sure we can think of another plan? He's a good friend and all but lets not forget that it is his fault that this happened to Jin."

Jamie couldn't be mad at her…she was right…

"Hey…" Mina began.

"Shut your mouth Asuka!" Kyo replied. "I'm your brother and if I can forgive him so can you."

"We'll find a cure it's around somewhere!" Robbie said resolutely.

And that was all he heard…he tuned the rest out as he walked outside to think…to ponder…and to be alone…

_New Scene..._

Fifteen minutes later found Jamie standing outside the hospital leaning against the wall and thinking. He almost never did this, but after the night he had he figured that it was okay.

He pulled the cigarette from the carton, put it to his lips and lit it. The Nephilim sucked in the nicotine and blew it out his nostrils.

All he wanted was one cigarette, but the orderlies wouldn't give him one, so he had to go down to the gift shop of all places to buy a whole pack which he never intended to use, and a lighter…which only came in three packs, so now he had two other lighters that he'd never use…he really did feel like he wasted five dollars.

Jamie rarely smoked…he had bought a pack of cigarettes on his eighteenth birthday just to prove he could, and the pack was still half full (this pack of course was in his house in a drawer though).

His brother used to smoke a pack a day, but lately, had weaned himself down to maybe one to three a day. Jamie supposed it was better then his brother's older habits when he would smoke more then just tobacco…and sell it to make money.

Jamie took another drag from the cigarette and repeated the process of blowing through his nostrils, only to suck it back into his mouth, to blow it back out. Honestly, he hated the taste in his mouth, and his fingers smelled awful, but he needed to do something remotely destructive to himself.

Justin had taught Jamie that in life, there were certain things that needed to be done a right way…their father had taught Justin, and Justin was going to teach Jamie. It was important to learn how to drink a beer, how to shoot pool, and bowl effectively, and smoke a cigarette.

Thinking about his brother made Jamie want to cry again…for he realized that not only would Jin probably die; he and Mina would also die and bring hell on earth…and he'd never see his brother again.

If there was one thing that he regretted more then anything since becoming a Nephilim it was the fact that he hadn't really spent anytime with his brother. He had wanted too of course, but saving the world tended to get in the way. As a Nephilim he had to conceal his identity, most people who knew him, knew what he was and how is fate was sealed…except for his brother.

Jamie never told Justin he was destined to die…that it was dangerous, but he wasn't guaranteed to die and so Justin Parker thought his little brother was some kind of real life super hero.

Suddenly, his phone rang, mercifully jarring him away from his thoughts…but he grimaced when he heard the ringtone and chorus of the song: Authority Zero "Over Seasons" Justin Parker's signature ring.

Jamie debated not answering it…but against his better judgement did so anyway.

"He…hello?" Jamie sniffed.

"Jamie…that you?" Justin asked cheerily.

"Yeah…what's up Justin?" Jamie tried to fake a happy tone.

"I just called to wanna congratulate you on how awesome you're doing in the tournament…we've all been watching it on the tour buses and…"

"Wait…where are you?" Jamie asked, genuinely concerned.

"On the way to Amsterdam now…we're gonna be there for a couple of weeks skating and stuff…anyway, everyone wants to say hey."

Suddenly, a loud assault of drunken and raucous "HEYS!" were heard so loudly that Jamie had to hold the phone away from his ear. Bam Margera quickly grabbed the phone and wanted Jamie to give him Christie's number…before giving the phone back to Justin.

"We're all doing really well…and hey, you'll never guess who asked about you."

"Who Jus?" Jamie asked.

"Shaun White,"

Briefly, Jamie had to think about who it was…and then he remembered; Shaun White was Jamie's age…and the two had become friends simply because both loved to skate, and they were the only two people on tour together who were fifteen (at the time).

They both liked the same movies, video games, and doing the same things…so naturally, a friendship was made.

Prior to becoming a Nephilim, Jamie considered seriously going pro with his skating…and the two often spoke of how awesome they'd be together…but then they had a falling out after Jamie became the Nephilim at sixteen, and hadn't spoken since then.

Now, Shaun was a pro skater and snow boarder…and although Jamie wasn't angry at him or anything, it seemed that Shaun was an eternal reminder of the life that Jamie wanted to have…that he deserved to have…

"Jamie…Jamie are ya there? Did I hit a bad patch?"

"What…no…how's he doing?"

"Well, he wanted to know if you were coming up…and I said that I wasn't sure but then I realized something…"

"What?" Jamie asked…already knowing where this was going, and dreading his response to it.

"See…your tournaments ending in like, a couple of days, and you don't go back to school until…"

"End of October remember?" Jamie asked.

"Right, and you and I haven't spent really any time together…so how about coming to Amsterdam after the tournament?" Justin asked in such a hopeful tone that it made Jamie's heart break. "Cuz everyone wants to see you really bad and it'll be a lot of fun."

"I don't know Jus…" Jamie began.

"Oh c'mon it'll be really cool and we can…"

"Well…we'll see what happens after the tournament…I might have some school stuff to fill out or something so…" Jamie lied

"Oh…" The disappointment in Justin Parkers voice made Jamie feel like a knife was being wrenched into his heart. "Oh…well…okay Jamie…that's cool…"

"I mean," Jamie began, his voice breaking.

"No it's alright," Justin interrupted as good naturedly as he could. "But anyway; I guess I'd better let you go do some training or whatever…tell Mina we're rooting for her too…"

"Okay." Jamie replied.

"Alright well, I'll talk to you later Jamie." Justin was about to hang up…but Jamie interrupted.

"Justin…"

"Yeah?"

What could Jamie say? That he couldn't make it to Amsterdam which was all he wanted to do more then anything right now because in a few days hell would be unleashed on Earth and it would all be his fault.

He'd spent three years being part of an ancient society that protected the world from demons and vampires, and here he was, about to bring the very thing he fought for to it's knees.

"Jamie? You alright?" Justin asked.

"Um…yeah…I just wanted to say that…whatever happens…I love you…Justin…thanks…thanks for taking care of me…"

"Wait…Jamie what's…"

And that's all Jamie heard before he turned his phone off.

He looked down at his cigarette, it was almost gone now…quickly, he took a final drag and flicked it into the bushes.

"Jamie?" A voice called from behind him.

Jamie turned to see Peter standing behind him.

"Oh…hey Pete." Jamie responded flippantly.

"I didn't know you smoked." Peter said with a shocked expression on his face.

"Look Peter, I do sometimes…very…very…very…rarely, only when I'm having an incredibly hard day…this being one of them. I know that like, one cigarette takes an hour off of your life or something but considering I'm not supposed to live long anyway what's another hour?"

"…I guess…" Peter mumbled. "Um…I saw your wrist…and I just wanted to say…."

"I fell," Jamie interrupted. "I ran outside, and I tripped on some glass."

"Jamie…listen; I'm not gonna judge you…I've…well lets say I've 'tripped on some glass too' when I was really upset once but…it's not worth it."

"That's what everybody keeps telling me, and I guess they're right. I'm too valuable to die; I mean, in the time it takes to find and train the next Nephilim it'll be…"

"That's not what I meant;" Peter interrupted. "It has nothing to do with sending the next Nephilim to fight or anything like that…it's because you have people in there who care about you as a person and want to make sure that you're alright…what happened with Jin is NOT your fault no matter what anyone else says…you couldn't have known what Grey was going to do…like Christie said; he's Heihachi's Nephilim-but-not and…"

Suddenly, Jamie's mind began to focus on Grey again…and instantly something occurred to him.

_Only another sacred warrior's blood can cure him…_

_I'm an avatar baby…which means I can kick your pansy Angel ass from here to next Sunday…_

_I've gotten in killing distance of him twice and he's kicked my ass without even trying…_

"…Jamie…you okay…" Peter asked.

"Yeah…yeah… Pete…I think I am…I think I've found a way to save Jin and stop this ritual."

Quickly, he ran back inside the building and up the stairs to Jin's room…he was breathless when he entered, but he explained his hypothesis.

"It might work Jamie; but how are you going to bring Grey back here alive?" Dr. B asked.

"The old fashioned way I guess." Jamie said.

"I don't like it Jamie; this Grey fella seems really strong." Robbie warned.

"You'll get yourself killed if you go alone." Mina added.

"Mina's right; at least take Hwoarang with you." Julia added.

"Sounds like a plan; but I don't even know where to begin looking for him." Jamie said.

Suddenly, the Nephilim's phone broke the short silence with a "Ta Da" sound…indicating that he'd received a text message. Curiously, he opened it.

You wanna finish this? Meet me at the Hon Maru temple and we'll throw down.

It's gonna be called as an official Iron Fist Fight and we'll see who's better.

Come alone though, you and I both know we wanna fight without our friends to back us up.

"Well…that settles that then." Jamie said, he stood and glanced at Jin. "I'll save you friend…I promise…now I'm going to prove that I'm more than useless…"

"Jamie…" Mina began.

"Listen…if I'm gone for more then three hours then come looking for me…one way or another though, this score is finally gonna be settled."

And without another word, Jamie Parker jumped out the window, and into the welcome darkness of the night.

Author's Note: Okay, I tried, but I'm not really happy with how this turned out…please don't be too hard on me and please read and review


	34. Chapter 34: Race For The Cure

Chapter Thirty Four: Race For The Cure

Author's Note: Okay peoples…here it is…another climatic battle of Jamie vs. Grey…and I got to thinking…maybe it might be a little more interesting from Grey's perspective and such…so let's try it. Thanks to all who read and review please keep this up. Oh and I know Hon Maru Temple blew up in Tekken 5…but…this is my story and it hasn't been blown up LOL.

_Grey…_

Hon Maru Temple…

Grey had never liked religion…which was actually somewhat ironic since his biological father was a Baptist Minister and he was raised in a Catholic Orphanage with nuns and priests.

He had always thought that the concept of a higher power was a nice thought to have…but since there really wasn't any proof of it, there wasn't much to believe.

Despite his attitude and grades, Grey was a very smart individual, and he had read the Bible backwards and front. As a book on itself, it was very fascinating, but he didn't get anything else out of it.

The Bible prattled on and on about how God was going to punish the wicked…but in modern times…it seemed like all the wrong doings were going unpunished…so where was God?

But just because Grey didn't like religion didn't mean that he didn't like all aspects of it…for example, he loved old, musty churches and places of worship.

But he didn't think he'd ever seen anything as beautiful as Hon Maru Temple.

He and Lee had trained back here before, and after one such training session, the older man had taken Grey back here and explained the history of the temple.

It was beautiful at night…the heavily lacquered wooden floors shined with the clarity of a mirror, and everything around the room seemed to have been placed somewhere for a symbolic purpose.

"…if only the outside world was the same…" Grey muttered to himself.

He achingly rubbed a spot on his chest…it was a spreading sore that he'd received yesterday after his fight with Bryan Fury…Heihachi had hit him for asking too many questions.

After fighting with Bryan, and sending him to the ICU ward of the hospital Grey figured he should have felt…completed…the only other emotion that should've been left was grief…over the loss of all his friends and family…but he thought he had avenged them.

So why did he still feel like the killer was running free?

Bryan had smiled while Grey pummeled him and told Grey that someone had hired him to do it…and while Bryan got what he deserved…that meant there was someone else out there who deserved far worse.

And Grey began to figure out who it was.

At first he refused to believe it…Heihachi couldn't have…

After all; he had adopted him…Heihachi had often said that Grey was like a son to him…

But something about it nagged at the back of his mind…and if indeed, his instincts were right, then he felt as if he was going to be sick.

If his instincts rang true, then he'd been living these past three months in the house of the murderer…living in the lap of luxury and doing sick twisted…errands for the killer of his family!

"No…" Grey shook his head, and squeezed his eyes shut. "That's not true!"

After all, it made so much more sense to hear Heihachi's story…Grey knew he was special…an avatar no less; but a specific unknown group had thought Grey was another Nephilim and wanted him dead…so this group hired Bryan to torch Grey's home and hopefully him as well.

But if this was true; then who was this group? And why hadn't Heihachi told him who they were? Grey had done practically everything Heihachi had asked and still…he hadn't come through with his promise.

Heihachi's main objective was to have the Nephilim, and the girl who looked like a Japanese popstar…Mina…captured and placed in the Zaibatsu's labs. Heihachi wanted the Nephilim Jamie dead…but he hadn't specified what he wanted with Mina.

Grey had hoped that he'd let her go…after all, she really was an innocent in all of this…and even if Heihachi wasn't going to let her out…then Grey might break her loose. He'd done many things that he wasn't too proud of for vengeance…and he honestly didn't want to do anymore of Heihachi's "errands".

Shooting Jin with the poison arrow had been a loyalty test…and Grey had qualms about doing it…at first, he only thought he was going after the stupid Nephilim…giving Jamie what he deserved; after all, if Jamie hadn't been flaunting his "Nephilim-ness" around like a fuck-tard then Grey's home wouldn't have been torched.

But Jin…he was going to be a dad and…

And…dare Grey say it…his preconceived notion of Jamie was starting to unravel…throughout this whole tournament, Grey had never seen the Nephilim do anything evil…Grey was just jealous…jealous of the friends Jamie seemed to get without even trying and maybe…as corny as it sounded…Jamie wasn't the real asshole here…

Grey walked over to the altar and lit a candle in prayer for his dead family…and as he did the doors to Hon Maru slammed open…and Grey just knew that Jamie was behind him.

Jamie…

It was game time…everything he felt before was just a lapse in judgment…it was time to end this…he smiled; turned; and addressed the douche bag.

_Jamie…_

Getting to Hon Maru Temple wasn't hard…and that's what worried Jamie.

It was located deep within the Mishima Compound…and at night, should have been guarded like Area 51 or Fort Knox and yet strangely, it was barely guarded at all.

Sure, there were a few groups of Tekken Force here and there but Jamie either avoided them, or knocked them out with a few well placed sleeper holds or blows to the head.

And so, here he was…at the stairs to the ornate Shinto Temple.

Jamie Parker…the Nephilim closed his eyes, and grabbed onto the railing…it felt smooth and cool to the touch, he sighed and slowly…slowly, began to ascend the stairs.

_Step…_

_So much has happened before at this temple…_

_Step…_

Images flashed through Jamie's mind like a projector running too fast…immediately, the Nephilim began to remember his last visit to this temple.

_-Barreling up these stairs two and three at a time to save my brother from Devil-_

_Step…_

_-Robbing Jin of the opportunity to fight his father…only an Angel can kill a Devil…leaving Jin to lay face down on the temple floor…_

_Step…_

_-Saying goodbye to my comatose brother and entering Devil's dimension to kill the demon…_

_Step…_

_-Cold, ancient, murky, cathedral…fighting Devil…_

_Step…_

_-Ascending Angel Ritual…defeating Devil…saving Kazuya…should be dead but lived…I…LIVED…_

And suddenly, when Jamie opened his eyes he was standing at the doors again…the familiar…serene…lacquered doors…and he realized that he didn't have any more time to waste on the past…

Grey was waiting…his fate was waiting…he couldn't fail…no…he wouldn't fail…Jin wouldn't die…

Jamie didn't want to take a human life but he knew that he had no choice…

And with that thought, Jamie focused all his strength in a kick…blasting the doors off their hinges…he stood in the temple's threshold…Grey stood with his back to him at the altar…slowly, he turned, and smiled.

"So," He asked casually. "Is he dead yet?" He asked the question as if he were discussing the weather.

"No. He's not gonna die." Jamie responded hollowly…still standing in the threshold.

His arms were folded across his chest, and his face had a blank stare of neutrality on it.

"Aw…bummer…oh well, that poisons supposed to be wicked painful so it won't be too long huh?"

"There's a cure." Jamie replied.

"Really?" Grey asked with genuine surprise. "Looks like I needed to get that 'incurable' thing in writing…so I'm dying to know…what is it?"

"Your blood." Jamie said simply.

He still hadn't moved from his spot…and Grey found that his blank face and cool demeanor were a tad unnerving…and Jamie saw it…just a twinge of shock and fear in Grey's demeanor at the mention of the extreme cure.

"As far as justice goes it's kinda poetic don't you think?" Jamie asked.

And that's when he began to walk slowly towards Grey…who also walked towards him.

"So," Grey said with a smirk. "You think you can do it? You think that Mr. High and Mighty Nephilim can get down and dirty with the rest of us?"

"Alots changed Grey…you just seem to bring out the murderous intent in people…and it's not like you'd be missed anyway; I'll do the world a favor by taking a fuck up like you out of it." Jamie retorted.

The two stood close now…within arms length…both unflinching, waiting for the other's first move.

"So…" Grey lowered his doe eyes to Jamie's groin then flitted back to the cobalt eyes of the Nephilim. "Am I gonna be your first? The one who pops your homicide cherry? Sorry baby, I'm not gonna be gentle."

"I figured you wouldn't…and that's fine; but either way, you're coming back with me."

"I guess we'd better start this little evening off right…" Grey said with a small, side grin…his lip rings glinted in the light. "Give us a kiss."

Jamie responded with a crushing right hook…all his strength, energy, and emotions went into that punch…

And the fight began…Angel vs. Avatar…

_Fight…_

Grey staggered back from the punch and spat a glob of blood from his mouth.

"You're right hook hasn't improved man." He chuckled.

He staggered from the punch as though drunk, but quickly, leapt into the air, with his arm extended in a 360 punch. The blow connected with Jamie's jaw and he too staggered backwards.

Quickly, Jamie regained his footing and dropped into his fighting stance…Grey too, dropped into his. Both stared at each other for a moment trying to gage the others next move.

Jamie sprang first with a low punch to Grey's kneecap; Grey realized too late that it was a fake punch…with his other arm, Jamie blocked Grey's right hook, and brought his other fist up, for a quick punch to Grey's face.

Grey angrily swung another punch at Jamie…this time, the blow connected and the Nephilim staggered backwards.

The Avatar walked to Jamie, who was still reeling from the blow and grabbed his shirt, pulling the Nephilim closer.

"You're not even trying…" He purred.

Jamie retaliated with an angry cry, and a head butt.

Grey still clung loosely to Jamie, but the Nephilim broke the grip and flung Grey into one of the pillars.

He landed awkwardly against it but still managed to keep his footing.

Jamie, meanwhile sprinted towards him, but Grey planted a back kick into Jamie's stomach.

"OOFF…" Jamie grunted as he staggered back.

Grey quickly got up, and advanced on Jamie. He swung a punch, but quickly, Jamie ducked and swept Grey back on the floor.

"And what a surprise; you're on your back again!" Jamie quipped, as he drop kicked Grey in the stomach.

Grey tried to grab at Jamie's ankles but the Nephilim deftly jumped out of the way…unfortunately, Grey used the opportunity to get back up.

What ensued next was furious hand to hand combat…both, to the untrained eye just blonde and black blurs against the ancient Japanese backdrop.

Jamie struggled to keep up with Grey's furious punches, and he did admirably.

Both were angry at the other for different reasons…and although Jamie was taught by Mina's father never to fight angry he couldn't help it.

Anger was what fueled this fight…and it was anger that could win it.

Jamie blocked a heavy punch from Grey, and while he staggered he brought his leg up to perform an axe kick…Grey spun out of the way and the next instant, the Avatar had put the Nephilim in a choke hold.

"Not gettin' tired are ya? I'm just startin' to feel it." He panted.

Quickly, Jamie sprinted backwards, and slammed Grey against one of the pillars so hard, that he actually felt the foundation rumble behind him.

"Uuuugggghhh…" Grey groaned weakly as he fell to the ground.

Jamie got down and slammed Grey's face hard against the wooden floor…not wasting any time, Jamie pulled out a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, and latched them together…

One shackle on Grey's wrist…and the other on his…

"Stick around." Jamie said angrily.

Grey looked down in shock and surprise, and decked Jamie hard in the face.

_Heihachi…_

Heihachi Mishima stared at the dozens of computer monitors along the wall. They all showed different areas in the Mishima Compound.

"These are the images from the Hon Maru temple." Lee said.

The silver haired man brought up the images from Hon Maru…and instantly, Heihachi saw the fierce fighting on display before him.

"A pity the fans won't get to see this…they both put up a hell of a fight." Heihachi quipped.

"Should we send them in now?" Lee asked.

Heihachi noticed that Lee winced slightly when Grey got roundhouse kicked to the temple.

"No;" Heihachi began, stroking his beard and watching the battle. "Let the two continue to fight…let their rage build…with the rage comes the resurrection of Ogre."

"But technically; the ritual doesn't start until tomorrow night." Lee protested.

"Very true;" Heihachi agreed. "It's a pity to interrupt such a battle…"

"They'll do it again tomorrow night…just with different souls inside them."

Heihachi watched as the Nephilim produced a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and latched them to himself and Grey.

"I wouldn't have expected that at all…this Nephilim is far smarter then we give him credit for."

"Or stupid; with them both tied together it will be easier to capture them…will it not?" Lee asked

"Yes," Heihachi mused. "If we let them continue fighting they'll kill each other…and we can't have that can we? Send the soldiers…remember, I want them alive."

"Yes sir." Lee replied.

Heihachi smiled and leaned towards the monitor watching the drama unfold as if it were a major sporting event…a pity to interrupt such a battle indeed; but…sacrifices must be made he supposed.

_Fight…_

Using his momentum, Jamie jumped up quicker and spun Grey around with the handcuffs until he crashed into one of the pillars.

"AAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH!" Grey screamed.

He struggled not to fall and succeeded, and flung Jamie into the main altar…the Nephilim crashed into it…destroying the sacred gate, and committing the ultimate act of sacreligion to this Japanese faith.

Not wasting anymore time, Grey flung Jamie onto the ground…the Nephilim landed on his tailbone but quickly got up, and kicked Grey hard in the face before pulling him up, and kicking him hard in the back.

The avatar quickly spun his legs around, and knocked the Nephilim to the floor. Immediately, Grey placed his feet against Jamie's shoulders and pulled and tugged at the handcuffs.

Jamie screamed in pain and agony as he felt his shoulder begin to dislocate and give way…but finally, just before his arm completely dislocated itself, the handcuffs snapped…freeing the two.

Both did kick ups and dropped into their fighter's stances…Jamie winced in pain and gingerly tested his arm; although it stung it was still usable…Grey looked down at Jamie's left hand and the knife that it held.

It was a beautiful weapon…one where the actual blade split into several prongs…one could find these types of daggers at any sword store, but rarely did you find these actually sharp enough to cut…it seemed as if the owner took immense care of it.

Jamie was familiar with the weapon as well…it had been wrenched deep in his intestines when he and Grey had first fought.

Grey had left it behind; Jamie now held it.

"That's mine!" Grey snarled.

"You're about to get it back!" Jamie cried.

And the two ran at each other again, trading blows in lightning efficiency…both faces locked in perfect hatred with each other…Grey swung a punch, and it connected with Jamie…followed by a kick to the gut.

The Nephilim doubled over in pain…Grey was about to unleash an axe kick on the Nephilim's hunched form…

"Time for this little angel to go to heaven…"

When Jamie found an opening…quickly, he plunged the knife forward

_-don'twannadothis-_

And the next thing he knew, it was lodged hilt deep in Grey's lower stomach.

"…uuurrrrrgggghhhh…" Grey gurgled, his face locked in astonishment, as he stared down at the wound.

Jamie too…his eyes wide watched as a dark patch began to spread across Grey's shirt.

"I…I…I…didn't…want…" Jamie stammered.

He had never killed another human being before…the actual physical aspect of killing someone wasn't the hard part…it was the emotional part…the act of stabbing the knife through Grey and watching the life slip out of him.

"You…you did it…you actually did it…" Grey wheezed and chuckled.

He winced as he pulled the knife out and let it fall to the floor.

Blood soaked the weapon as it clattered against the wood.

"I never wanted…I'm…"

And suddenly, the doors to Hon Maru slammed open…Jamie looked up, half expecting to see his friends waiting…instead, he saw Heihachi, and throngs of Tekken Force enter.

Several soldiers who bore medical symbols on their jackets grabbed Grey and took him out…Jamie was too shocked to do much of anything but stare.

"Bravo; bravo!" Heihachi clapped. "Splendid fighting my dear boy…you almost killed my precious foster son…then where would we be?"  
"…Heihachi…" Jamie began angrily.

"I'm disappointed…I had heard you were famous for your clever retorts and was so looking forward to them…ah well; you've had a traumatic experience, but once we capture you're little friend Mina, perhaps you'll open up?"

_Mina…_

Suddenly, Jamie snapped out of his stupor long enough to realize the situation at hand…he was now trapped in Hon Maru with a small legion of Tekken Force and Heihachi himself.

Immediately, The Nephilim whipped into action; busting out his full prowess on the surrounding enemies…letting his rage guide him all the way…finally, Heihachi stepped in, and grabbed the Nephilim…pulling him into some kind of headlock.

Jamie struggled with all his might but couldn't break the vice like grip…he was aware of a tingling sensation and then…a jolt of electric energy whip through him…and then, all was black.

He felt himself hit the floor with a thud, and the last thing he heard was;

"Take them both to the Zaibatsu and prep them for the ritual; tomorrow we take the girl…"

_Mina…Jin…I've failed you al…_

And then; all went dark.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait but I wanted the fight between Grey and Jamie to be really good…don't worry though cuz they'll be another one in upcoming chapters…anyway, please read and review!


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